Love You Now, Love You Always
by TDBigJ1213
Summary: Ash and Serena and the others start their Senior year of high school. Ash and Serena will find out what it's like to have a relationship in high school now that they're together. What does this year have in store for them? Sequel to In or Out (Read that first if you haven't already) Besides Amourshipping, pairings include: Luckshipping, ElectricBounceShipping, DawnxOC, MayxOC.
1. Back in the Game

**TDBigJ's message:** I'M BAAAAAAAAAACK! Woo, man, I've been holding that in for seven weeks. Anyway, how are you guys? How's the last month and a half been for you? I've been pretty busy working on this and the other story, and seeing as if you voted on the poll, you would know what I'm talking about. When it comes to the poll, well, it seems you know the result. This story won the poll, 6 votes to 3. Within the first twenty four hours of the poll being up, there were four votes in total, all for this story, and after that, the other story (Against All Odds) got three of the next five votes but it seemed that it wasn't enough to beat it out, so this story is the winner. I would've been happy either way and also, either way, you'll be getting both stories from me, so don't worry that Against All Odds lost (At least for those of you who wanted it next) because that story will come out right after this one. Just be ready to wait a little longer for that one, because if you remember what I said at the end of the final chapter of In or Out, I will only be working on and releasing one multi-chapter story at a time because two at once would be too stressful for me. But trust me, I am excited for that one as well. And if you remember what I also put in the chapter after the story part of the chapter of the final chapter of In or Out, I left you guys with the option to send me a request for a one-shot, and I did get some within a couple days after In or Out ended and you will be seeing those from me within a month or two. You will only see me release one one-shot per month or two if I'm in the zone and let me tell you, I got some pretty good requests and I am excited to be working on those, so for those of you who sent me a request, get ready for my shot at your suggestion. I hope I don't disappoint you. But with that aside, I am glad to be back. That seven weeks flew by pretty fast didn't it? Well, I wouldn't know how it was for you guys. I'm just happy that I am back to working on another story. If you wanted to know, this story is also going to be fifteen chapters so get ready for it, and yes, I will be updating weekly so I won't keep you waiting for each installment. I know a few of you didn't like that with In or Out, so if you want to talk about it with me, just send me a PM, I'll be happy to talk and see if we can reach an agreement. I've got some ideas for this story and I'm going to be more flexible when it comes to typing each chapter and the amount of characters that are going to be in it. I'm planning on adding some more characters from the anime to this story, like: Barry, Cilan, Iris, Morrison, Ritchie, Stephan, Cameron, Misty, and the list goes on. So without further ado, here we go with "Love You Now, Love You Always". Let's get this started!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

The sun shined bright on a beautiful looking September morning. Some people were already up and moving, others still laid in bed, school kids mostly. That's right, it was time for another year of school. Many kids dreaded this day for obvious reasons, but for some others it had no bother to them. Yep, it looks like this year was going to be one heck of a thrill ride.

A little bit of light escaped through the blinds of the room of a certain future Pokemon master. Since it was miniscule, he didn't notice, and also the fact that he was still asleep. His trusty partner that always spent the night next to him awoke when a tad bit of light shined on his left eye. Pikachu opened his small black eyes and noticed that it was morning. The yellow mouse Pokemon rubbed it's eyes with his paws and stood up. He walked over to his buddy and placed his paws on Ash's left cheek to try to jar him awake. Due to the fact that Ash was a heavy sleeper he didn't jerk a muscle. Seeing as he wasn't going to get him awake this way, he let loose a few short but powerful jolts out of his cheeks. This worked as Ash's eyelids swiftly moved open to see his best friend in front of him smiling which made him smile himself.

"Hey Pikachu, good morning."

"Pika pika."

Ash took his left hand out from under the covers and petted Pikachu's head. After that he sat up in his bed and cuffed both hands behind his head and pulled so he could stretch. He then got out of bed and opened the shade so he could let the sun in. The sun was a little too bright and he had to put his right hand in front of his face to keep himself from being blinded. Pikachu did the same as well. Ash then realized what day it was.

"Oh right, today is the start of school. Oh well, the summer was good while it lasted. Travelling another region, collecting badges, and entering the Pokemon league. At least we didn't do too bad in the league this year, huh Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Yep, another remarkable summer."

Ash loved how his summer went. He collected all his badges all the while learning new battling tactics to conquer the gyms and the Pokemon league. The league was a great time for Ash. He didn't win the league but he made it as far as the semifinals in the final four, which tied for his personal best when he participated in the Sinnoh league a few years back. When Ash lost his final battle in the league, he didn't feel upset at all. He usually never did when he lost a league battle. The only thing that Ash felt after his final league battle was a sense of pride. Brock even said so himself. Shadow even said that Ash should feel nothing short of that. But the person that made him feel even better after the battle, that said they were proud of how well he did, was Serena, his girlfriend. He reflected back to that day about a week ago.

 **Flashback**

Ash picked up Pikachu after he had fainted, signaling the end of the battle and victory claiming to Ash's opponent. He looked at Pikachu with a genuine smile spread across his lips. He felt great that Pikachu battled so well. He didn't feel one ounce of shame after the end of the battle.

"Don't feel bad buddy. You were awesome. I'm proud of how you did. Good job." Ash commented.

Ash then shook hands with his opponent and walked back to his friends who were standing outside the stadium waiting for him. Right when he caught eyes with them, smiles spread across their faces. He walked over to them.

"Hey Ash, you did great out there. Nice job." Shadow commented who then high fived and hugged him.

"Thanks Shadow, I appreciate the support." Ash replied.

"Ash, if I know whatever you're feeling right now, it's a sense of pride. You definitely gave it your all out there, you were nothing short of brilliant." Brock stated.

"Thanks for that Brock. And you're right, I am feeling a sense of pride. It doesn't matter that I lost, I should be happy that I made it as far as I did."

"That is true."

The two then high fived and hugged. Ash was glad to have someone like Brock travel with him again. Brock was one of the people who always gave him enough courage and support. But there was still one person who hadn't expressed their thoughts to him yet, so he went over to her before anything else proceeded.

"No matter how you did out there, you're a champion in my eyes. I'm so happy with how you did." Serena commented.

What she said to him was short and sweet, but Ash wasn't one to ask for more (even when it came to food). She told him she was proud of how he performed and that was good enough for him. This was the first time she saw him compete in a league, and although he didn't win, he at least made into the top four. Top four out of 600 plus has got to be something to be proud of and he was glad she was there to see him do it.

"I'm glad you think so. Thanks for supporting me the whole way." Ash stated.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Serena commented.

The two then shared a quick kiss and then hugged. Brock and Shadow knew what this kind of moment was for them, and enjoyed seeing them happy. They all thought that they never wanted this journey to end, but it would be soon, but they would see each other in school next week anyway, so it wasn't like they were splitting up for a long time. They enjoyed the moment as it continued. When it concluded, they went back to their hotel and spent the rest of the night relaxing after such a stressful day.

 **End of flashback**

It was a fun summer indeed. It was one of Ash's best throughout the years, heck, maybe even his best. Winning the league would've made it a little better but it didn't matter to him. He never won a league before with the exception of the unofficial Orange League, so he was used to it. But Ash knew that it was a learning experience because he knew one thing: You learn more from losing than you do from winning. But he had to put that aside for now, because he had to get ready for school. He wasn't bothered by it. He was one of those people who didn't let school be a nuisance to him. He didn't enjoy school with the exception of a few classes, but he certainly didn't hate it either. He grabbed the clothes he wore during the summer and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Ten quick minutes later he emerged from the shower all dressed in his hoodie and cap. Pikachu just laid on his bed to get a few more winks while Ash was in the bathroom. Right when Ash entered his room Pikachu opened one of his eyes to see him approaching and then quickly sat up and rubbed his right ear with his paw. Ash just smiled and again rubbed the top of the yellow mouse's head.

"Don't worry about it buddy. You can sleep until we have to leave."

Pikachu heard what he said but in his mind he thought he had caught enough sleep and was ready for the day. He watched his partner put on his red and black sneakers and tie them and walk downstairs and followed right behind him. Delia was already up and in the kitchen doing little duties. She heard her son coming down the stairs and looked at him when he caught the corner of her eye.

"Morning honey, ready for your final year of school?"

"Pretty much. Just one more year and I can journey all year long."

Ash had planned that after he graduated he would start travelling twenty four seven three sixty five. His mom dreaded the day it would come but she loved how her son followed his passion and she couldn't hold him back from it, but for now, at least for the next ten months, she wouldn't have to worry about it. She watched as her son put his usual breakfast in the toaster who then poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Walking with Serena to school this morning?"

"Yeah, I promised her that now that we're in a relationship, that we would walk to school every day together."

Delia admired the idea that Ash finally had someone else other than her to care about. Sure he had his friends but she meant when it came to love. She even admitted before Ash and Serena got together that he was a bit dense, but he finally got past it and got himself a girl.

"It's so sweet that you two became a couple before your journey this summer. I'm so proud you have a girlfriend." Delia commented.

"I'm glad I'm with her. I mean, I knew nothing about relationships before I met her, but she opened my eyes to it." Ash replied.

"I'm just so happy that you now have a lady to take care of." Delia stated. Ash nearly spit out his juice when his mom said "lady". He had to cover his mouth with his hand to prevent any liquid from spraying.

"Mom, really?" Ash shouted, cheeks blushing a dark red.

"Why, you embarrassed about it, honey?" Delia teased, tilting her head toward Ash. Ash slightly shook his head.

"No mom, I'm not. But did you have to put it that way?" Ash asked.

"All I said was "lady" and "take care of", what's so bad about that?" Delia asked, raising an eyebrow. Ash put his hand on his head and took a deep breath and shook it off.

"No mom, it's fine. I just overreacted is all. Me being in a relationship with her is still kind of new to me. I mean, we've only been dating for almost three months." Ash explained. Delia returned to what she was doing before as Ash's breakfast popped out of the toaster and he grabbed one and took a bite out of it.

"Do any of your friends know about your two's relationship?"

"Besides Brock and Shadow, no. But we were planning on telling everybody today. They will probably all ask when they see us holding hands anyway." Ash answered.

Part of her wanted to ask him what he thought their reactions were going to be because she was curious, but she shoved that idea to the side and finished what she was doing.

Meanwhile Ash finished his two toaster pastries and gulped down the last of his orange juice. He looked at the time and realized school started in forty five minutes. He thought he would get a head start and get there early. He already called Serena last night and planned when they would walk together this morning. He grabbed his binder and rushed out the front door but not before saying "goodbye" and "I love you" to his mom.

 **Half an hour earlier**

An alarm went off signaling the start of the day. After about ten seconds of the alarm buzzing a certain honey blonde took two of her fingers and pressed a button, ceasing the blaring alarm. She lifted her head off her pillow and rubbed her eye and looked at the wall, eyes half open. Realizing that it was now morning and what day it was, she swiftly sat up in her bed and stretched her arms out. She got up and opened the blinds she squinted her eyes closed when the bright light shone in her room. The bright light woke up Fennekin who also rubbed her eyes with her paw. Serena went over to her and pet the top of her head.

"Good morning, Fennekin. Today's a new day."

"Fenne." Fennekin moaned silently. She was still groggy from a good nights sleep. Serena didn't mind so she told Fennekin she could keep on sleeping if she wanted to, which Fennekin thought she would sleep for a few more minutes. Seeing as Fennekin wanted to catch a few more Z's, Serena went into the bathroom to take a shower to get started for the day.

Since Serena took a little longer than Ash when taking showers, she got out a few minutes later than he did. She got dressed and went into the bathroom to fix her hair since she just washed it after getting bed head the previous night. She was rather quick with getting her hair dried and curled since her hair was short. It took her much longer when it was down to the middle of her back. She missed her long hair but she liked her short hair look and didn't plan on going back to her long hair look anytime soon, although she wouldn't mind going back to her long hair someday, just to see how much she had missed it and more importantly, see what Ash would think of it. Within five short minutes it was the way she wanted. She went back into her room and put the rest of her attire on and walked downstairs. Fennekin stayed in the room and kept on resting. She knew that when Serena had to leave for school that she would have to get up and get moving, so she fell back to sleep and rested with what time she had left. Serena had entered the kitchen and her mom handed her a glass of milk which she gladly took and took a sip out of.

"Get enough sleep, honey?"

"Yep. I'm ready for today."

"I know you've only been back for three days, but a lot of sleep is what you deserve from the long summer you had." Grace explained.

"Mom, I had a lot of fun this summer, I didn't need that much sleep." Serena responded, rubbing her left eye again.

"Even if you've had a fun summer, you could still use a bit of sleep. You moved around a lot."

"I see what you mean. But trust me mom, I'm fine."

"So, how was it travelling with Ash? You two have a good time together?" Grace asked.

"It was great! Ash did really well in the league and I finished in the top four in the master class tournament, so I had a blast this summer." Serena explained.

"Well, I'm glad it was good for you. I'm sure travelling with your boyfriend has to be fun."

Serena looked up at the ceiling, smiled, and sighed happily. "Yeah."

"You two be careful around each other. Remember what I said a few months back, I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet." Grace remarked.

And just like before, this sent a shock up Serena's spine, making her spit out the milk that she had just drank onto the floor in front of her and she covered her mouth with her hand. She looked directly at her mom.

"MOOOOOOM!" Serena whined, whole face completely crimson. Grace just chuckled to herself.

"Just playing around with you." Grace said.

"UUUUUUHHHH!" Serena groaned out loud.

A few minutes later Serena finished her drink, grabbed her hat and binder and walked out the door to meet Ash. Ash was sitting at the curb in front of her house. Apparently he was waiting for her. She silently walked up to him. She didn't want to play games so she just tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see her there and stood up.

"Hey, ready to go?"

"Yeah let's go."

They started to walk, but Serena halted Ash after a couple steps.

"Wait, if we are a couple now, there is something we should be doing while we're walking."

"What's that?"

Serena stood forward again and put her left hand down by her side, open, and motioned Ash with her head to follow suit. Ash looked down for a second and was unsure of what she was implying but then realized what she was doing and grabbed her hand as well and they continued walking. Once they got to the entrance to the forest it was very silent.

"So how has your morning been?" Ash asked.

"Oh nothing to brag about really. But my mom kind of shocked me with something she said."

"What did she say?" Ash asked, wondering what would surprise her like this.

"Well, you know we are in a relationship, right?" Ash nodded. "She just told me that she wanted us to be careful because she's not ready to be a grandmother yet."

Now Ash was the one to be shocked. Once she said that his eyes widened, he jumped and dropped his binder. Pikachu's expression was almost the same, even he understood it. Serena jumped a tiny bit at Ash's reaction. It seemed that even Ash took it as an uncomfortable question.

"Really, your mom asked that?" Ash asked, picking up his binder off the ground and dusting it off with his hand.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I pretty much had the same reaction as you." Serena replied.

"Oh, well, I guess we both took it the same way, huh?" Ash stated.

"Yeah."

"It's no big deal. My mom even made that statement to me once." Ash mentioned.

"Looks like our moms think alike it seems." Serena remarked.

"Yeah, I guess." Ash responded then grabbed Serena's hand and they continued walking. After a few seconds, a thought came across Serena's mind.

She looked at Ash. "Hey Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think our friends will think when they see we're in a relationship?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that." Ash looked down at the ground for a few moments while he took the time to think. "I'm pretty sure they'll be happy for us, I mean they're our friends, I doubt they will think any different."

"Yeah I guess you're right." She replied.

The rest of the walk was filled with conversation about what their friends were going to think about their relationship but also mainly about the new year. This was going to be their Senior year which everybody knew was the final year of school. They were stoked that after this year that they could travel all the time without the worry of academics, but that was a long ways down the road so they had to take every day in stride because every day of school they finished was a day closer to their next adventure. They just had to be patient.

They reached the school within a few minutes and went and got their schedules for the year. They walked around comparing their classes, seeing if they had any together. They waited for when their friends would show up. Their wait wasn't long as a certain blunette appeared in front of them.

"Hey guys, long time no see." Ash and Serena looked up from their schedules and saw Dawn in front of them, arms outstretched.

"Oh hey Dawn." They said simultaneously. Dawn walked up to them and embraced them in a hug. But she hugged them so tight that they bonked heads with her. They both got hurt by it but since Dawn was really into the hug she didn't feel the pain, either that or she ignored it. Dawn released from the hug after a few seconds.

"So how was your summer you two?" Dawn asked, curious of the two's adventure over the past three months.

"Oh, well, it was pretty fun. We each worked hard towards our dreams but at the same time it was a blast." Ash responded.

"Yeah Ash, I saw you in the Pokemon League and Serena I saw you in the master class tournament. You both did great!" Dawn exclaimed, expressing how happy of her friends turnouts over the summer.

"Thanks Dawn. That means a lot." Ash replied.

"Yeah, I was speechless. You two deserve as much-" Dawn stopped as soon as she saw the one thing she wasn't aware of: Ash and Serena were both holding hands. Since she didn't know about it, her eyes widened a tad bit. "What is this?"

"What is what?" Serena asked, unsure of where Dawn was going.

"You two are holding hands. Does that mean… you two are?" They both shook their heads.

"Yes Dawn, we're boyfriend and girlfriend." Serena replied.

Dawn now really was speechless. She smiled and gasped. She pointed both fingers at them. "When did this happen?"

"Day after school ended last year, before our journey started." Ash answered.

"I'm so happy for you guys." She once again walked up to them and hugged them with both arms, less rough this time. "I had a feeling this was going to happen."

Ash and Serena both each put an arm around Dawn. She was ecstatic that they ended up together. Well, they now knew what one of their friends thought. Just, what about everyone else? But that was a question for later.

"Where's Ally at?" Serena asked.

"Oh she's just getting her schedule right now. She'll meet me in a few minutes." Dawn replied.

"Oh okay."

"I'll see you guys a little later, I have to go get my schedule as well." Dawn said and ran off in direction of the front office.

The two looked over their classes as well. Unlike last year, the two didn't have the same first period but did have three of their six classes together so it wasn't a total loss, especially since their last period was the same so that saved time meeting up after school. Time passed by pretty quickly so school had to start. They parted ways and said to each other that they will meet each other in second period.

Ash reached his first class and looked at the seating chart to see where he would be sitting. He quickly found his spot and went over and sat down. A minute later, a familiar face sat down next to him, and the cordial green haired future Pokemon connoisseur saw Ash sitting next to him. Ash easily knew who he was. They didn't have any classes together last year but it looked like they had this one this semester.

"Hey Ash, where have you been?" Cilan asked.

"A lot of places. Traveled another region this summer." Ash replied.

"Yeah, I saw you on tv in the Pokemon League. Good job there! I know you didn't win but you were still great." Cilan commented.

"Thanks man. How was it running the gym?" Ash asked.

"Tough, but I have experience so it wasn't extremely difficult." Cilan explained. Ash always wondered how Cilan had been doing since he left Unova after traveling with him. See if he made any progress into becoming an S-ranked connoisseur and if running the gym was any easier.

"How about your connoisseur dream? Getting farther in that at all?"

"A little. I know it's hard but I'm making a little progress here and there so it isn't too bad." Cilan responded.

"I see. How are your brothers?"

"Fine. No different. But you know, they're my brothers so it's easy."

"I'm glad. Hear anything from Iris lately? I haven't seen her in forever." Ash brought up.

"Not much. I see her every so often. But you will probably see her around school, I'm pretty sure she would like to hear what you've been up to. I think she would like to know where her favorite "immature" kid has been." Cilan stated, making air quotes when he said "immature".

"Will do. Thanks for the tip." Ash replied.

The day passed by fairly quickly. Ash got to see all his friends that he wasn't able to see over the summer. They were all surprised but yet happy when they found out that the two were dating. Since he and Serena had the same last period, they were able to walk home all the way from the last class. Which made Serena breathe a breath of fresh air since she didn't have him do that last year. They held hands all the way home. But right before they reached the edge of the forest Ash had an idea.

"Hey Serena?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't we stop somewhere before we head home?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I have an idea."

With their hands already intertwined, Ash went ahead of her, pulling her with him. Ash jerked her a little quickly which made her almost drop her binder. They walked for a good few minutes. Once they reached a foliage of trees, Serena took a good look at them. They looked really familiar to her. She thought it through for a moment and it soon came to mind. She knew where he was taking her, but she wanted to know for sure. Once they reached an opening, Serena realized her assumption was right. It was the field that he showed to her when they first met earlier that year.

"You brought me here?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since we've been here. I thought that since we haven't been here since we became a couple that I thought I would bring you here for the first time now that we are."

Serena had been here many times before, but this time felt like it was the best one of them all. She came here mostly just to relax by herself by Ash's insistence, but this time beat all of the previous ones. She looked right at him.

"You're so thoughtful. Thanks!" She said. Ash looked right into her eyes so he could say what he wanted to say next.

"I learned from the best."

Serena knew who he was referring to and blushed. "I can't take all the credit."

"I'm just saying you taught me a lot more about it. I didn't know as much as I do now than I did before I met you. You made this possible."

He said what she wanted to hear. It made her blush even harder. She could have swore she saw him blush as well. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds. She looked back at the field. Ash looked at the field as well.

"You ready to go home?" Serena shook her head.

"Not at all."

Ash smiled. "You read my mind."

The two then laid down on the field but not before taking off their hats and setting them to the side. Serena bent her knees and laid her head on Ash's chest while also resting her hand on his stomach. Ash put his right hand behind his head and started stroking Serena's hair with his left. They laid there for a long time, not letting anything else bother them, not even worrying what time it was or how long they were laying there, they just enjoyed each other's company, just their own, nobody else's.

Yep. It was going to be one heck of a year.

 **Author's note:** Well how about that, I think it's a good start to the story, but like usual, I'll leave that for you guys to decide. Well, this is what you guys wanted, or most of you at least. I am so stoked to be back. I am so excited for the long ride ahead and I hope you guys are too. Here's to another three months. Anyway, if you know what the last story was like and where it went after this, then, well, you would know what's up next. Yep, if you guessed right, it's the preview.

Ash took off his gloves and put them into his pocket and went up to the sink to wash his hands. He dried it with a paper towel when he was done and put his gloves back on and walked out of the bathroom. But right when he walked out, Gary came up running to him. He seemed to have been running for a good amount of time because he was heavily panting, and it also looked like something was up.

"Ash, you've gotta come quick." Gary said, motioning his hand to tell Ash to come with him.

"What's up Gary?" Ash asked, curious to the situation.

"You might want to see this, it's about Pikachu. And it's not good." Gary explained.

"How bad is it?"

"Another person's Pokemon has picked a fight with him."

Ash's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

After that Ash ran with Gary to the courtyard behind the lunchroom. There seemed to be a crowd surrounding the area where a battle was supposedly taking place. Ash was worried. He didn't fear the worst because Pikachu could handle himself in these situations, but he still wanted to know what was going on. Once he and Gary reached the scene, it seemed that Pikachu was in a battle against a Serperior. Pikachu didn't look too bad. The worst that he had was a few marks, but nothing serious. Ash rushed to a safe distance from the battle to where he wouldn't get hit. It seemed that neither Pikachu or Serperior were going to give in. They were both looking like they were about to strike. And right when they did, Serperior got ready to jump while sparks emanated from Pikachu's cheeks. But before either could start their attacks, Ash and a familiar voice shouted at their Pokemon simultaneously.

"PIKACHU STOP!"

"SERPERIOR HOLD BACK FOR A SECOND!"

Pikachu looked back at Ash when he heard his name, and Serperior looked at his trainer as well when he emerged from the crowd. Right when Ash saw who it was, he was surprised.

 **Author's note:** Ooh, tension is in the air. So much you can cut it with Scyther's arms. Who is this trainer that Ash has seen? You can probably guess who it is, based on the Pokemon. Are you right? Well, we'll see when the next chapter comes out. For the meantime I'll watch some Pokemon while I'm at it and also see what the English dub version of the dance episode is like which airs tomorrow in case any of you who are curious. So I'll see you next week. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**


	2. Hellfire

**TDBigJ's message:** Another week, another chapter, how about that? That week went by quick didn't it? Anyway, I'm glad that this story is off to a great start. I was shocked that it got as much reception as it did: 20 plus reviews, 10 plus favorites, and 15 plus follows. Wow! Didn't see that coming. I'm not one to brag so I'm not going to show it off. It's good to see most of you who read In or Out are reading this story. Thanks for coming back. You guys rock! You are the ones I do all this for. One thing I would like to point out is about the trailer of the starter Pokemon for the new Pokemon games coming out later this year on November 18th. I watched it a couple days ago and it looks like it's going to be a couple of great games. I was a little disappointed that they kept the starter types as grass, fire, and water, I'm pretty sure a lot of people wanted them to switch it up this time around, but it looks like it won't happen. Aw well. But that is only a minor gripe and will not in any way make me lose interest in buying the games. I'm not going to spoil what the names of the Pokemon are and what they look like. I'm pretty sure you guys want to see them in the trailer. One spoiler I would like to point out though (I hope you don't get mad at me for this), is that the region that takes place in the games is called the Alola region. Could this be the next region the next Pokemon series takes place in? (Only if there's another series, which I hope there is). But I'm super excited that these games are coming out and I hope to get one of them. I haven't played a Pokemon game since the original fire red version for Game Boy (Yes it's been that long). So I hope to obtain either one (or both) later this year. So if you remember from the last story, you know what happens next: The responding of reviews.

 **Rams30 (Guest #1):** Thanks! Glad to be back!

 **Espeon44:** It's good to be back, and to you as well. I'm not sure yet if I will have Ash face a new rival, I will put some thought into that. Yes, I plan on putting Selina and Ashley back into this story. Glad you liked the first chapter and I'm doing great, stoked to be back. How are you? Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #2):** You hope those pairings happen? They are just to give you a heads up. I'm not sure guys will hit on Ally and Dawn, but hey, I might consider it. No, Trip won't be a bully. You'll see in this chapter. And as stated above, Selina and Ashley will appear. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #3):** I'm glad that you're happy that I'm back. It's good to see you reviewing again. There's a good chance new characters and OC's are going to be added into this story. I have one in mind actually, but I'm unsure if I should use him. He would be related to one of the actual characters of the show, but at the same time I don't think you guys would want him in there, so I'm holding that back for now. They will most likely face trouble. No, I don't think Ally and Dawn will be teased. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yes, I'm back. I'm actually surprised to see you reading this story. I've read a few pieces of your work and loved them, so I like to hear that an author I've heard of is reading my story. I've been reading Her Saviour and read A Wish Granted, both are very great stories! Glad you liked the prequel. Episode 22, huh? I think I know what you're talking about but I haven't seen it yet. Thanks for the review! Oh, btw, love your profile picture!

 **Klay (Guest #4):** Yes, Clemont will end up dating someone. He's going to end up dating Shauna. That is the pairing named "ElectricBounceShipping" that I have in the description of this story. That most likely won't happen, but I like the idea. Drew won't end up hurting Shadow, that I promise you. Next part, well, here you go. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #5):** Yes, Clemont and Shauna are going to be a couple. Everyone pretty much knows about Dawn's relationship with Ally. I don't think Paul is that kind of character. Thanks for the review!

 **Ted (Guest #6):** Ally is espeon44's OC that she wanted me use in the last story and she is the one dating Dawn. No, no one will hurt them. Thanks for the review!

 **Cavaliers23 (Guest #7):** Since they already have girlfriends in the names of Serena and May that probably won't happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Good to see you back reading my new story. Oh boy, I hope I don't put you back into another diabetic coma, I couldn't live with myself if history repeated itself. But glad you liked the first chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Pokemonmeat:** Good to see you again. Glad you liked the chap! Thanks for thinking this story will be good. I will do my best to do so. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Man, it's awesome to see you back, reading my new story. The flashback parts you liked, thanks! After some thought, I'm surprised too that I didn't have Fennekin evolve over the summer. How come I didn't do that? I'll reply to your PM by the end of the weekend regarding that. Thanks for hoping that this story will be promising for the future. And when it comes to Trip, he will probably be like Morrison, Stephan, and Cameron towards Ash, a nice rival. I think that since the two of them parted ways on good terms in Unova, that I think it will be best suited for him to be that way. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #8:** It's good to see you back as well. That does seem like a good idea for the crossover fic and I will see myself working on it soon. I don't know an exact release date but I'll let you know within the next few weeks. Thanks for the review!

 **Cubs18 (Guest #9):** Misty most likely won't be a bull to them. Thanks for the review!

 **AmourNinfia:** Glad you loved In or Out. It's good to see a new face reading my stories. Well it's good that you're excited for the sequel and just hold onto your seat and see where this goes. You think I write excellently? Aww (blushes like Serena). Glad that it makes it enjoyable, that's what I aim for. Yeah, I would say that Amourshipping moments make me squeal as well, but I would be docked man points if I were to do so, so I will refrain from that. It's not really something I would do anyway. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Like above, it's good to see a new face reading my stories. Glad you liked In or Out. Here is the next part. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #10):** Pikachu won't need saving, you'll see in the chapter. I don't think Serena is that kind of person. Shadow is dating May by the way. Thanks for the review!

 **Jets14 (Guest #11):** Those things most likely won't happen, but Shadow standing up for Ally is a good idea. Thanks for the review!

 **Goldenstate30 (Guest #12):** Drew will be in this story, but he won't try to take May from Shadow, and yes, May does love him. Thanks for the review!

 **Thunder35 (Guest #13):** They probably won't have love rivals. That idea seems overused, but that is a good idea. He likely won't appear. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

Ash, Pikachu, and a few of Ash's Pokemon were out by a lake, tossing rocks into the water. They were mainly doing it to see who could throw it farther. Seemed like a childish game, but Ash was a teenager and teenagers were almost like kids so he didn't care. The other Pokemon Ash had brought with him were Sceptile, Infernape, Krookadile, and Greninja. He brought them because they were among the ranks of his strongest Pokemon so he could have a challenge.

Ash was pretty much beating them each time though due to his strong arms. Pikachu was small so he only threw about five yards out but the rest of his Pokemon were getting close to Ash, but Ash managed to out throw them each time.

"Okay you guys, another round?"

Each of his Pokemon nodded in agreement and picked up a rock. "All right, one…" They each stretched their arms back. "Two… Three!"

They threw their rocks with all the arm strength they could muster. A couple seconds later each of their rocks landed in the pond with a "SPLASH". Ash once again ended up throwing his the farthest. Krookadile came closest, only within a couple inches. Pikachu again ended up throwing his the shortest. Pikachu didn't feel bad though. He knew because of his size that he wouldn't be able to chuck a tiny piece of gravel long distances. But Ash decided to up the ante. He told each of his Pokemon to throw a rock that was about the size of a fist. There weren't very many of them around them so they chose to go look in the area to see if they could find any. Ash looked around for a couple minutes looking for a good sized rock. Shortly after, Ash found a decently sized rock and picked it up. He tossed it a short distance in the air to see if it was fit for his arm power. He started to turn around before a voice stopped him.

"Hey Ash."

Ash turned around to see who that voice belonged to. He knew though. He recognized all his friend's voices. He turned around and his assumption was correct: it was Ally.

"Oh hey Ally. What brings you here?" Ash asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Ally remarked.

"Uhh…"

Ally chuckled. "It's no problem. I was just walking through the forest alone and I happened to end up here. I was surprised to see you here I'll admit."

"Oh, well, I just brought my Pokemon here. I like to take them from Oak's lab and spend some time with them and do whatever. It's the least I could do since I haven't taken them on a journey in a while." Ash explained.

"Hm, that's thoughtful of you. It's good that you still make time for them while school is occurring. Let them have some quality time with you while you're not travelling. I wish I was like that." Ally stated.

"Aw, Ally, don't be hard on yourself. You can be that kind of trainer. It's never too late." Ash said.

Ash was always the one to give each of his friend's encouragement. Despite the fact that his friends did it a lot in return, he was the one that usually gave it more, and his words were wiser as well.

"I could give it a shot. I mean, I don't have that many Pokemon. I only have a few since I went on my second journey this past summer, but this could be something that I could do for the meantime." Ally said.

Ash patted Ally on the back. "There you go. Just because you're not on a journey at the moment doesn't mean that you can't make time for your Pokemon. I'm pretty sure they will appreciate it."

"I'll do it. Thanks for the advice Ash." She put her hands behind her back and walked past Ash. "So are these your Pokemon?"

"Yeah, just a few of them. I have a lot more than them back in Professor Oak's lab." Ash answered.

"They all look like they're having a good time. When did you get each one of them?"

"Sceptile, I caught him back in Hoenn, Infernape was part of my Sinnoh team, Krookadile I had in Unova, and Greninja was with me in Kalos." Ash explained.

"They look well trained."

"They are. They all fought hard when I had them a part of my team. They deserve all the credit for their victories."

"I believe that they all think the same towards you. I'm pretty sure they give you a lot of praise for training them as hard and well as you did." Ally commented.

"We all work hard. Believe me, it's hard to come up with new strategies and I bet they go through a lot trying to learn them, but they all pull through with quite a bit of hard work." Ash explained.

Ally knew quite a bit about Ash, but some she still didn't know, him being a trainer especially. Serena and Dawn were right, Ash was a very colorful individual. She walked forward a few more steps.

"So where's Serena?"

"She's out doing errands with her mom right now and said she won't be back until tonight. Where's Dawn?"

"She's catching up on some schoolwork and she said she would rest for the remainder of the day when she finished, so she will be occupied for today."

"I see."

"By the way, I just wanted to ask something. How was Shadow during your journey?" Ally asked.

"Oh he was great. Don't worry, he didn't cause any trouble." Ash replied.

"Good. He seemed to have been really bushed when he got home last week, so it seemed like it was good for him." Ally commented.

"He did really well. We actually faced against each other in the Pokemon League in the round of eight. It was a pretty close battle. I only beat him by one." Ash explained.

"Yeah, I watched your guys' battle on tv. That was one intense battle." Ally remarked, awed by what performance her friend and brother put on.

"It was pretty intense. I've never seen him as a trainer before so it was good to see what his caliber was, and let me say, I was surprised." Ash complimented.

"I'll take your word for it. I've traveled with him before and he wasn't as good as he is now, but I think that since that he was around you that you kind of rubbed off on him." Ally stated. Ash was a little confused, why would Ally make that comment?

"What do you mean?" He asked, wanting to know what she meant by that.

"I've heard what Dawn, May, Brock, and Clemont said about you. When they traveled with you and watched you battle it's beyond what a normal trainer would do, so what I mean by that is that he learned some new tactics while he was with you over the summer and he made some good practice into learning those skills himself. So you've made him better than he was." Ally explained.

Ash was really surprised. He hardly ever heard about how his friends described what kind of trainer he was. Saying he rubbed off on those that he travelled with, making them better was different for Ash. Sure he liked helping others a lot, but seeing these kinds of comments from them caught him off guard, but he appreciated the respect. He really had a lot of people to count on.

"I'm that much of an impact, huh?" Ash asked, looking out towards the sky.

"I wouldn't doubt it for a second." Ally replied.

"You wouldn't?"

"No. But one of these days I'd like to see for myself."

"Like how?"

"Well, I know this may be way early, but, when you go on another journey someday, maybe next summer, would you mind if I tagged along?" Ally asked.

"You want to journey with me next summer?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Only if you're okay with it. But I want to talk to Dawn about it before I do so. Maybe she would like to travel with you again." Ally responded.

"Yeah, yeah, that wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm fine with it one hundred percent." Ash confirmed.

"All right then. It's good to plan ahead, right?"

"Yeah. But we've got ten months to plan everything. See if anyone else would like to come along in the meantime." Ash stated.

"Serena would come along too, right?"

"Yeah, we already planned that once we graduated we would travel all year and we would do it together." Ash replied.

"Well, then, I guess it's settled. Next summer, we're travelling together."

"It's a done deal."

Ash picked up the rock that he had picked up a few minutes earlier. "Would you like to toss rocks with us?"

"Yeah sure, I've got nothing else to do." Ally picked up a rock that was a few feet from her. "But while we're doing so, could you tell me what it was like travelling with Dawn in Sinnoh? I don't think I've heard that from either of you yet."

"Sure."

The two then went over to Ash's Pokemon who had found a rock while Ash and Ally were conversing. And they all tossed rocks into the pond while Ash told Ally about his journey in Sinnoh.

The following day at school was nothing short of the usual. A few classes were boring, a few were tolerable. When lunch came around, each student breathed a sigh of relief, seeing as they finally reached a break in their day that was more than five minutes. Ash left the classroom and before heading to the lunchroom, thought that for a change, he would have Pikachu be there with him, so he went towards the nursery that he left Pikachu in at the beginning of the day to fetch his best buddy. Right when he entered the nursery, Pikachu saw him come in and rushed over to him and jumped into his arms in joy.

Ash chuckled. "Didn't expect to see me this early, huh buddy?

"Pika pika!"

"Come on buddy, let's go see the others."

Pikachu nodded his head and the two left towards the lunchroom. Ash usually was the last one to get to the table anyway so his friends didn't care that he showed up a little later than they did. When he entered the lunchroom, he looked for the table his friends were sitting at. When he spotted them he walked over to them and sat down.

"Hey Ash. Oh, it looks like you brought Pikachu with you." May commented.

"Yeah, I thought I would bring him along for once. Besides Serena, he doesn't really see any of you that much." Ash stated.

"You've got a point there. I haven't seen Pikachu really at all since we parted ways in Unova." Cilan said. Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and ran across the table to Cilan. Cilan smiled and stroked the top of Pikachu's head, making the yellow mouse coo in delight.

"I don't think any of you, with the exception of Shadow, Ally, and Brock, have seen any Pokemon of mine at all in a long time." Ash explained. Serena then showed up at the table and sat down next to Ash. "Oh, hey Serena."

"Hey baby. Sorry I'm late." She said and pecked Ash on the cheek. With the sight of his partner's girlfriend, Pikachu rushed over to her and jumped into her arms.

"Hey Pikachu. Good to see you here. Ash, you brought Pikachu here?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, Thought I'd switch things up a little." Ash responded.

"That definitely sounds like you." Serena playfully teased.

"Uh, it does?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and I'm not talking about Pokemon battling either." Serena continuously teased. All of Ash's friends giggled. This caused Ash to blush pink a little.

"Come on, Serena, not in front of the others." Ash pleaded.

"Do what? This?" She asked. Then she grabbed each of Ash's cheeks and planted a quick deep kiss on his lips. As soon as she released, he now was blushing red, and he was also confused.

"Aww, young love!" Brock commented.

Ash was a little nervous right now. Serena doing that in front of his friends, geez. Having a girlfriend was going to be a lot of work. With that aside, Ash thought he'd get things back on topic.

"What were we talking about?" Ash asked, blush finally disappearing.

"Well, we weren't really talking about anything. What's on your mind?" Shauna asked.

"Nothing now." Ash remarked.

"Anything up with you two?" Dawn asked.

Ash sighed and held his hand down, placing his right hand on top of his cap. Did this question really need to be asked now?

"I'm sorry about that. Are you okay Ash?" Dawn asked, realizing Ash was looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be right back." Ash said and got up from his seat.

Clemont looked at Serena. "Serena, do you know what's troubling him?"

"I think that he doesn't want to talk about us a lot right now. He's still getting used to being in a relationship so he doesn't feel like going too much into detail about it at this point. This is his first relationship you know." Serena explained, telling the others about Ash's position that he was feeling.

"You seem comfortable talking about it. Is this your first relationship too?" May asked.

"Yeah, but does it matter?" Serena replied.

"Good point."

Cilan thought he would chime in. "From what I know, girls are usually faster than boys on the subject of romance."

"Explains why Ash isn't completely comfortable with it yet." Brock stated.

Serena took off her hat and placed it on the table in front of her. "To be honest, I'm not one hundred percent comfortable with it either."

Everyone looked at her quizzically. Really? She wasn't?

"You serious?" Ally asked.

"I'm serious. I mean, when I first had a crush on Ash, I loved the idea of us as a couple. I would always dream of the day we would end up together, and now that we are, I'm happy beyond all means, but at the same time, I'm a little nervous and I get Butterfrees in my stomach quite often." Serena explained.

"Why is that?" May asked.

"There are two things that cause them. One is that whenever Ash compliments me and it makes me happy. The other one is in fear that if I do something wrong, Ash is going to think of me differently and that we aren't going to last long together. So basically it makes me either happy or scared." She concluded.

All of the others knew at least a thing or two about this sort of thing. They knew that Serena was going to have minimal problems when she was dating Ash, so they thought they'd put their two cents in.

"Serena, you have nothing to worry about. Fear of doing something wrong out of the blue is how everyone feels in a relationship, but does it ever make the other person think of you differently? I know Ash, even though he is new to this, I doubt he will think of you differently in any way. He's not that kind of person. He'll accept you no matter what. Don't let the fear of one small mistake scare you into thinking the worst will happen." Dawn explained in full detail.

Serena listened to everything that Dawn had to say. She fully understood what was said. "Okay, I understand. Thanks."

Fifteen minutes later, Ash had finished eating and he went to the bathroom to wash his hands. He wasn't usually one to think this but he wanted to get away from his friends for now. He didn't mind that they knew that he and Serena were a thing now but he didn't want to answer a million questions whenever he encountered them, and he just needed to get away for the meantime. He left Pikachu with Serena. At least he knew he was in good hands, that he knew.

Ash took off his gloves and put them into his pocket and went up to the sink to wash his hands. He dried it with a paper towel when he was done and put his gloves back on and walked out of the bathroom. But right when he walked out, Gary came up running to him. He seemed to have been running for a good amount of time because he was heavily panting, and it also looked like something was up.

"Ash, you've gotta come quick." Gary said, motioning his hand to tell Ash to come with him.

"What's up Gary?" Ash asked, curious to the situation.

"You might want to see this, it's about Pikachu. And it's not good." Gary explained.

"How bad is it?"

"Another person's Pokemon has picked a fight with him."

Ash's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

After that Ash ran with Gary to the courtyard behind the lunchroom. There seemed to be a crowd surrounding the area where a battle was supposedly taking place. Ash was worried. He didn't fear the worst because Pikachu could handle himself in these situations, but he still wanted to know what was going on. Once he and Gary reached the scene, it seemed that Pikachu was in a battle against a Serperior. Pikachu didn't look too bad. The worst that he had was a few marks, but nothing serious. Ash rushed to a safe distance from the battle to where he wouldn't get hit. It seemed that neither Pikachu or Serperior were going to give in. They were both looking like they were about to strike. And right when they did, Serperior got ready to jump while sparks emanated from Pikachu's cheeks. But before either could start their attacks, Ash and a familiar voice shouted at their Pokemon simultaneously.

"PIKACHU STOP!"

"SERPERIOR HOLD BACK FOR A SECOND!"

Pikachu looked back at Ash when he heard his name, and Serperior looked at his trainer as well when he emerged from the crowd. Right when Ash saw who it was, he was surprised.

It was Trip.

"Serperior, I didn't let you out of your Pokeball just so you could go fight other Pokemon on your own accord. You need to be a little careful when I'm not with you for a short period of time. Okay?" Trip told his Pokemon a little sternly but with some easiness.

Serperior held his head down. "Serperior."

Trip looked over at Pikachu. "Hm, I wonder if that's Ash Ketchum's Pikachu." He looked at Ash come up to Pikachu and picked him up. "Yep, sure is."

"Pikachu, you okay?"

"Pika."

"Don't worry, I'll get you healed up buddy."

Ash kept looking at his partner. Due to that, he didn't notice Trip walking up to him.

"Hey Ash."

Ash looked up from Pikachu. "Oh, uh, hey Trip."

"Look, I'm sorry for what Serperior did. I didn't expect him to do this once I let him out of his Pokeball." Trip apologized.

"Oh, it's no big deal Trip." Ash responded, putting a hand up in the air a little.

"No, it is. It's all my fault. I should've brought Serperior with me when I had to go do something." Trip continued, feeling bad about the situation.

"Seriously Trip, it's fine. No hard feelings."

"I just wanted to clear the air with you. I wouldn't know why Serperior would attack Pikachu of all Pokemon." Trip added.

"I think I might know why."

"What's that?"

"Remember back in the Unova League when we faced each other in the preliminaries? Seeing as you used Serperior and I used Pikachu probably explains why this whole thing happened." Ash explained.

"Oh yeah, that could explain why." Trip said, seeing as that could be the possibility. "Well, anyways, again, sorry for all this happening."

"No worries." Ash added.

Serena walked up from the crowd that had now disbanded and placed a hand on Ash's non-Pikachu occupied shoulder. "Is everything okay Ash?"

"Yeah Serena, everything is all right."

Trip motioned his hand towards Serena. "Ash, who is this?"

"Oh, Trip, this is Serena, my girlfriend." Ash answered.

Trip's eyes widened a little bit. "Your girlfriend?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

A smile crept across Trip's lips. "Huh, very interesting Ash. Nice to see you've matured."

"Thanks. I guess."

"Ash, how do you know Trip?" Serena asked.

"Oh, Trip was one of my rivals during my Unova journey." Ash answered.

"Was he one of your rivals that was a rival and friend or just a rival?"

"He was more of a rival. We didn't get along well."

"How come?"

"Well, he always underestimated me and he made insults towards Kanto."

Serena gasped. "Like what?"

"He often called it the boonies." Ash replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Serena asked, now looking at Trip.

"It's not a big deal now. When we last encountered, we parted on good terms, so that's basically the past." Ash stated.

Trip nodded. "He's correct on that."

Serena calmed down a bit. "Okay, I guess that's good then."

"Anyway, I should be getting to class now, it starts in a few minutes. I'll see you around Ash." Trip said, holding out his hand. Ash noticed Trip's hand and shook it.

"Will do. Oh, and Trip?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's keep that promise and have ourselves another battle someday. What do you think?"

Trip smirked. "Sounds good."

"But for safety, I think we should refrain from using Pikachu and Serperior in that battle." Ash added.

"Good call. I'll see you later."

"See ya!"

"And Ash?"

"Yeah?"

Trip went up to Ash's right ear. "Good job on the girl. She looks like a keeper."

"Uh, okay, thanks." Ash replied.

"Nice meeting you Serena. I'll see you around."

"See you around."

After Trip had left, the bell had rung. Since their next class was together, they could walk there with each other.

Serena grabbed Ash's left hand. "Come on Ash, let's get going." She pulled Ash, making him walk. "He seemed interesting."

"On some level." Ash responded.

A few hours later after school ended and making his way home, Ash entered his house and went up to his room, slammed his binder on his dresser, took off his hat, and plopped down on his bed. Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder before he descended. Ash moaned as soon as his face hit the pillow. He turned around after a minute, looked at Pikachu for a moment then looked back up at the ceiling.

"Feeling all right, Pikachu?"

The yellow mouse nodded his head. "Pika Pi."

"Just making sure. You seemed a little rattled after that small battle you had today."

"Pika."

Ash sighed. "I'd hate to see you get badly hurt. I'd be devastated, Serena would be devastated, all my friends would be devastated."

"Pi?"

"You mean a lot to everybody. Believe me, you've had just as much impact on them as you've had with me."

Pikachu smiled. "Pikachu."

Pikachu hopped over onto the bed and sat on top of Ash's chest. Ash patted the top of his buddy's head a few times.

"Just like you do with me, I'll always have your back, even through the hard times." Ash stated.

Pikachu closed his eyes and rubbed the side of Ash's face with his head. After a few nudges he laid down on Ash's torso and fell asleep. Ash couldn't help but smile. He placed his hand on Pikachu's back. He didn't want to interrupt his partner's slumber and thought he would drift off to sleep as well after such a hard day he had. He closed his eyes and started to rest, not letting anything around them keep them awake.

The two were definitely inseparable. Anyone who doubted it was an idiot. The two would be a team until the end of days. And it was a sure thing.

 **Author's note:** And that's the true bond between trainer and Pokemon, always by the others side for eternity. Man, wouldn't it be awesome if we lived in the same world? Being a trainer would be awesome! Maybe they could invent a machine that made us live this reality, but until then, I guess we'll just have to settle for the games, that's the closest we'll get for now. Okay, I think my hopeful dreams can sit aside for now, but at this moment, we need to get to the preview.

"So this is the gym you used to lead?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. This is about the whole deal." Brock responded.

"It's nice to see that you've kept it in pristine condition, even after travelling with Ash."

"Yeah, a few of my brothers and sisters and my parents keep it top notch while I'm not home. They deserve the credit."

"You must have been one heck of a gym leader." Serena commented. "Hard to believe you battled Ash at one point, let alone the first gym battle he had."

"Yeah, it wasn't much of a battle though. First time I forfeited and when I came back I almost beat him but something happened that made me want to stop the battle."

"What was that?"

"The sprinklers turned on and soaked Brock's Onix and I was about to have Pikachu use thunderbolt on him, but I didn't want to beat him that way. It would have been too easy of a win."

Serena smiled. "Even at the beginning of your journey you had some smarts in you."

"Yeah, well, I told Brock that it wouldn't have proven anything if I let that happen. But even after that he gave me a badge anyway, which surprised me a bit." Ash added.

"Maybe you proved something to Brock that you didn't know about." Serena commented. Ash looked at Brock.

"Is she telling the truth Brock?"

"Actually, yes."

"What was it?"

"Well, it was-"

Suddenly there was a loud rumble. It sounded like it came from within the gym.

"What was that?" Serena shouted, covering her head with her hands.

"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from here on the inside." Ash added.

"Let's go check it out." Brock ordered and the three of them rushed off to find the source of the disturbance. Once they went to the back of the gym, they found Brock's Steelix and Golem lying on the floor. One of Brock's little brothers, Forrest, was there, looking on in shock. Maybe it had to do with something he did. But what? The three of them walked up to him to see what had happened.

"Forrest, what happened here?" Brock asked.

 **Author's note:** What strange thing has happened here? What did Forrest do to make Steelix and Golem get knocked out? Will Forrest be able to explain it? All this and more will be answered in the next installment. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

" **There's no sense in going out of your way to get someone to like you."**

 **-Ash, Pokemon Advanced, Episode Once in a Mawile**


	3. No Way But The Hard Way

**TDBig J's message:** Hola fellow readers. How are you? I've had a pretty enjoyable time in the last week. What about you? Anyway, we're here at the third chapter. Yippee! I love to see all of you who were here for In or Out here as well as a few new faces. I love you guys! You guys do seem to leave me a lot of questions in your reviews, well, mostly the guests, but for those of you who are users and leave me your thoughts, thanks for telling me. Your words of inspiration are fuel that adds to the fire of my creativity. Yeah, I know, that wasn't really clever, but I'm not going to dwell on it. I just wanted to point out a couple of things that I have been planning to do with this story. Nothing major, I wanted to tell you that the names of the chapters I will be making for this story will be named after songs from my favorite band Airbourne. Yes, the first two chapters so far are names of Airbourne songs, just so you know. Also, You probably saw that I put a quote at the end of the last chapter. I was planning to do that with every chapter from here on out. I forgot to do it with the first chapter but luckily I remembered for the previous chapter. A little heads up is that even though the quote for the last chapter was a quote from Pokemon, I'm not going to use just those. I plan on adding quotes from various tv shows and movies for them, and the one for this chapter is from one of my favorite movies and I love the quote and is said by my favorite actor. Now don't skip ahead and see what it is, you'll see it eventually. Actually, it doesn't matter. What you don't know doesn't hurt you, right? Nothing new has happened for me in the last week, but it was still pretty fun. I got to do this and play some Xbox in the meantime. Yeah, writing and gaming are two of my favorite hobbies. No really, it's true. And yes, I'm a huge Xbox fan. I live in the state that created Xbox so that's kind of a given. Sorry for you Playstation fanatics out there if you're reading this, that's just my preference. Have been since 2008. My mom always told me my teachers when I was in school that I was a good writer so that's why I do this and hopefully make a career out of it someday. Okay, let's get past this now, you guys probably want to read the chapter now, so let's get to it. Oh wait, yeah, I have to respond to reviews first. But you know, you can skip it if you want, unless you're one of the reviewers, then read just yours or all of them, it doesn't matter.

 **Rams30 (Guest #1):** Yeah, making Trip nice was a good idea. Serena facing Ally in a battle, that could be a possibility, but I'm not really good at writing battles, so I'll put it into consideration. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** That would be a good idea, since we need more than just the actual characters plus the OCs that have been in there for a while, make this story more interesting. Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #2):** Well, if you want to know what happens next, read and find out. I hope it's good. Thanks for the review!

 **Blizzard21:** Sorry if the story so far is a little dull and that there isn't much spice, but it's only the beginning and I promise you that more spice will be added later on. Something planned? Well, you'll see soon. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** That one-shot you wrote came to you naturally? Well, great job, because you nailed it! Yeah, I remember in the story description that Her Saviour was on hiatus again, sorry that it happened. I am excited for episode 22 now that you said it's your favorite episode. I'm going to wait for the English dub and see what happens. My oldest brother always watches the newest episode before I do so he will most likely get to it first. I think I know what that episode may be about because I think I've seen a picture of the video on youtube, but I'm not too sure that's the right one so I'm not going to guess. I will read your new story soon. Will Ash and Greninja be a thing in this story? Maybe. I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #3):** The two of them doing a tag battle, hm, interesting. That's not a bad idea. Conway probably won't be doing that, I wouldn't want to make him weirder than he already is. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #4):** Yeah, I hope the Pokemon are okay, too. The girls having fun together. Actually I was planning that for a chapter later on, but it will be that and the guys having fun as well. I mean, them hanging out. Don't get any wrong ideas. That really was an idea I had for a chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Cavaliers23 (Guest #5):** They could, it's a possibility. And the other one, I don't know. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #6):** Yeah, there could be a moment where they meet. Glad you love Ally, I'm pretty sure espeon44 would love you for that. And the answer to the Pokemon will be answered. That could happen, since a lot of you ask that. Yeah, they could, it's a possibility. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Yeah, I think it's perfectly normal that Ash isn't 100% comfortable being in a relationship with Serena yet. I'm pretty sure a lot of people feel that way in their first relationship. I have a feeling I will when I get my first girlfriend. Ash and Pikachu are no doubt inseparable. I like how you said they were two halves of the same being. That is a good way to put it. Watching the episodes and seeing their chemistry always puts a smile on my face. Ash and Pikachu have so much in common. Throughout the entire anime, they both have learned so much. Ash always comes up with new tactics and battle strategies and Pikachu learns and adapts to new attacks and becoming more powerful, that's why I love the duo so much. Thanks for the review!

 **Warriors30 (Guest #7):** A battle could be put into consideration, but like I said above I'm not good at writing battles so that could be a little difficult. Kenny could possibly appear. I plan on putting more characters from the anime into this story. I don't see them dating, they have girlfriends by the names of Serena and Dawn so there's most likely no chance of that happening. Could be an idea, I'll consider it. Well, he doesn't know she's dating Ally, so he could do it. They won't be bullied, trust me. I will try out that story. Good to know you like those characters. I'm taking a shine to them too. Them saying I love you to each other, yeah, they will probably say it in this story. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #8):** What OC did you have in mind? Don't worry, Shadow won't lose his confidence. By golly I hope they do as the story progresses. Glad you like the story and thank you for thinking I'm improving, I appreciate the compliment. Maybe, I'll put some thought into it. Thanks for the review!

 **Thunder35 (Guest #9):** Man, you have a lot of questions. Ally and Ash just see each other as friends so I don't want to tear them away from their girlfriends. Conway probably won't be doing all of that, it'd be too much drama. This story does need it, but not that much. I appreciate your suggestions though. Thanks for the review!

 **Cubs18 (Guest #10):** Yes, you will be learning about these couples as the story progresses. Each couple will end up getting together, although I'm not so sure at the same time. Team Rocket appearing was a possibility, but I'm not 100% sold on it. Gary could end up dating Misty. Those are a lot of suggestions for a con to each couple. I might consider that later on, but I'm unsure on it. Thanks for the review!

 **Jets14 (Guest #11):** Most likely she will meet her family. The answer to what happened with Forrest will be answered in this chapter. Rumors won't spread about them. I couldn't see myself writing that. I'll put that one-shot into consideration. Yeah, I like all the couples too. You'll find out what they look like later on in the story. They could, but not anything like making out. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Great to know you liked the chapter. I thought it would have been better off with Trip being on good terms with Ash since that's how we last saw it in the anime. I think Ash really only needs one rival that gives him a hard time, and Paul seems to be the one doing that. Gary used to do that but got past it and is also on good terms with Ash. Having everyone on Ash's next journey actually could be a good idea, but I'm not so sure about Clemont, Cilan, and Iris since they're gym leaders. Thanks for saying that. It's good to let Ash know about the characters in the story that aren't real characters in the anime, I intend to have him know about the other ones too. Sorry that I didn't PM you this past weekend like I promised, my mistake. I'll surely PM you by the end of this weekend, that's for sure. Yeah, Ash being a little uncomfortable about his newfound relationship is something I'm pretty sure everyone experiences. I know I haven't been in a relationship but I think that's a pretty good guess. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #12:** Thanks for the appreciation and I will get to work on the crossover fic. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Yeah, I kind of figured that someone would have easily guessed that it was Trip. After I typed the chapter I thought to myself: Man, I shouldn't really leave that obvious of a hint in the previews. Maybe I could have put in: It was Trip. That would have been better, that way it would have already been answered. Fennekin evolving into Braixen could have a good chance of happening in this story. And Pikachu going out with Dawn's Buneary? I like the sound of that. I'll put some thought into that. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #13):** I'll consider putting your OC into this story. Since a lot of people seemingly ask me that question, I hate to deny my readers anything. Thanks for the review!

 **Athletic2 (Guest #14):** No, don't worry, she probably won't run into any trouble. They could say that to their respective loved ones later on in the story. Maybe, that could happen. Woo, I hate to pick favorites when it comes to people, but I guess Ally. Yeah, he probably will. He's almost like Ash when it comes to girls and dating, although not to the same extent. Since he's with Serena, there really isn't any chance of that happening. They most likely will, but nothing more than a short kiss. Thanks for the review!

 **Jack (Guest #15):** I could make those two couples together, if everyone wants them to be. A one-shot of them could be hard, but I'm not saying it won't happen if I have a change of heart. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

In the text conversations, Ash lines will be in _italics_ , Brock's will be in **bold** , and Serena's will be **bold underlined**.

Ash stood in front of the bathroom mirror, checking if anything was out of order, mainly his hair. He took a comb that was next to the sink and stroked it through the spikes in his hair. Ever since he started dating Serena, he wanted to keep his appearance in top shape. He knew Serena probably didn't care, but he still wanted to do it, just in case. He kind of knew that Serena made herself look decent every day, but, she was a girl and they usually do that. Yep, no girl wants to look like a stale dish rag. Guys were almost the same way, but most made little effort or just plain didn't care, Ash did his best to not be one of those. Every so often his mom had to remind him but he remembered on most occasions. But why was Ash wanting to look spiffy today? It was because he promised Serena that they would visit the first gym Ash ever challenged: Brock's gym in Pewter City.

It was Saturday and yesterday Ash had made plans with Serena to go see Brock's gym. Ash had already cleared it with Brock to go do so. He asked Brock to see if it was okay, and Brock no doubt let it happen. That's what friends were for, right?

Ash walked downstairs, not worrying about putting his hat on for the meantime since he wasn't going to leave for at least a couple hours, so he was just going to watch some tv until he had to leave. He didn't see his mom yet so she must have been still been getting ready for the day. He jumped to the side and landed on the couch with a thud, laying sideways. He picked up the remote and flicked the tv on. Pikachu came rushing down the stairs and jumped onto Ash. Ash wrapped his arms around his buddy.

"Good morning, buddy. Have a good night?"

"Pika pika." Pikachu answered, nodding his head. He leaped out of Ash's arms and laid down on the spot next to his head, with his own a little up off the couch so he could see the tv screen clearly.

"Remember Pikachu, we're visiting Brock's gym today. Remember that place?"

"Pika."

Pikachu did in fact remember the Pewter gym as well as Ash did. There were some good memories, but in fact there were some bad ones as well. A good one marked one of the first memories he had with Ash and in fact the first battle he ever had. But a moment in the two attempts also held a bad memory. Being squeezed by Brock's Onix was a painful time indeed, but since he and Brock's Onix, now a Steelix, were on good terms since Ash and Brock were very good friends, he knew that was never going to happen again, so he could breathe a sigh of relief there.

"I hope that while we're there that I can challenge Brock in a battle again. I'd like to see a full battle between us, with an official finish." Ash said out loud. "I want to see if Brock's still got it."

Ash believe it or not, has been wanting a rematch with Brock since that very day six years ago. Sure they have had training battles when they travelled together, but Ash wanted to battle once again in Brock's gym, against Brock, no one else. The only battle he had there since his first battle in that gym was against Team Rocket when they redecorated Brock's gym out of his parents insistence while he was in Kanto challenging the Battle Frontier. Ash remembered that day, it wasn't a good one for him, May, or Max. Brock had the hardest one out of all of them, because he was surely pissed when that happened and when his parents arrived back from their vacation that was provided by a disguised Team Rocket. Man, those guys sure were a pain in the ass weren't they? But when it came to the visit to Brock's gym, Ash would ask Brock when he was there, just to see what Brock would say. He doubted Brock would say no, but he didn't want to guarantee it. Pikachu had no idea Ash was thinking this right now, but when he knew, Pikachu would be ready without a doubt in the world. Pikachu was paying attention to the tv and what program it was on, so he didn't see Ash deep in thought. Ash had brought his phone downstairs just in case either Brock or Serena texted him. And wouldn't you know it, he instantly received a message from Brock.

" **Hey man, you up?"**

Ash typed in his message then pressed send. _"Yeah. I've been up for the past half hour. You?"_

" **About fifteen minutes. I still need to take a shower, but I wanted to know your situation before I do so. You and Serena will be here in a few hours right?"**

" _Yeah, just like we planned."_

" **During that time let me get the place all situated. Need to make sure that the gym still looks decent when you guys get here."**

" _You sure, Brock? I'm pretty sure that the gym looks fine."_

" **It does, but I need to make sure because, you know, Serena will be with you."**

" _Serena probably won't mind. You know her."_

" **Yeah, but still, she's a girl. You know what they're like with tidiness."**

" _Understandable. So I'll see you in a few hours?"_

" **I will. See you then."**

" _See ya."_

After that last text Ash put his phone down. Since he had been doing that for the last few minutes he had missed some of what he was watching on tv. He looked over at Pikachu. His eyes seemed to be glued to the tv. He didn't really know Pikachu to be the tv watching type, especially the way he was watching it now. Ash had never seen Pikachu so attached to the tv like this. They never really watched tv while on a journey, but when they were at home, that mouse was one entertained Pokemon. Just one more thing that Ash loved about his longtime partner. Ash then saw his mother enter the room, looking decent for the day.

"Wow honey, I didn't expect to see you up before me." Delia said, surprised.

"I have something planned for later. I could have slept in, but I decided not to. Thought I would do this for a couple hours until I leave." Ash answered.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" She asked.

"Actually no, I haven't." He responded.

"That's surprising. Breakfast is usually the first thing you do when you come down in the morning."

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, must have slipped my mind or something."

"Well, go eat some breakfast honey. I know how hungry you get when you don't." Delia commented.

"Might as well, since I've got time." Ash stated as he got up and went into the kitchen to make himself something.

After Ash had eaten breakfast and filling his stomach, he went back into the family room to continue what he was watching. His mom went to being busy in the kitchen as usual. Pikachu came rushing in too after he had eaten some Pokemon food Ash had given him. He ran over to the couch and jumped up on it back in his previous space he was sitting in before and once again glued his eyes to the tv, not literally though.

Ash did the same as well and wondered what he missed. It was a lost cause as he didn't really remember what was on before, so he shoved that aside. He picked up his phone and checked if he received anything. Nothing. Nada. But he was thinking if Serena was up yet and if she recalled what they were doing today. He thought he would send her a text to see if she knew.

" _You up yet?"_

Within a minute he got a reply. **"Yeah, I've been up for about an hour."**

" _You remember what we had planned?"_

" **Yeah, I know. We're visiting Brock's gym in Pewter."**

" _You excited?"_

" **I guess I am. It would be nice to see where you had your first gym battle."**

" _You'll love it. It's a great place. Brock said he would have it spruced up before we got there."_

" **Why is he doing that?"**

" _He figured that since you were going to be there that he would make it look decent."_

" **Why? It doesn't matter to me."**

" _That's what I told him. He thought that he would need it to be neat in front of a girl. Can't really blame him for that."_

" **That's true. Anyway, is it okay if I come over in a few? So that way you don't have to wait for me before we leave."**

" _Yeah, that's fine. I have no problem with it."_

" **Okay, see you in a bit."**

" _I'll see you then."_

Ash put his phone down after the last text and rubbed his face with his hands and then looked up at the ceiling. What was today going to be like? That would have to be answered later. Pikachu was looking at him, wondering what was going through his mind. He kept his focus on him for a few more seconds and then went back to watching the tv.

Ash was trying to exercise that brain of his. This was one of the few times that he did so when it wasn't based on Pokemon or battling. He also tried to calm himself a bit. He wasn't in any stress but he needed to be relaxed for the day. He started watching tv again, hoping to forget about anything and everything for the meantime.

For the next half hour, Ash continued watching tv and whatever was on. There wasn't much but was he complaining? Suddenly, he heard the front door open and shut and within a few seconds he saw Serena enter the room. She walked over to him and planted a kiss on his forehead before sitting down.

"Hey baby, what are you up to?"

Ash looked up at her and then back at the screen. "Nothing really. I've just been doing this since I got up."

"Ah, I see. You ready for today?"

"Yeah. We really don't have to leave for another hour so we can just sit back and chill until then."

"All right." She said and set her hat down on the table and took off her boots and curled her legs up on the couch.

"Is it just going to be us visiting Brock?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to bring you along to see what started my journey a few years back. Give you a first glance of it." Ash replied.

"It's hard to believe that Brock was the first gym leader you ever challenged and he ended up travelling with you so many times. That's how you two know each other so well."

"Yeah, I know. Surprised me a bit when he decided to travel with me afterwards. I just wonder how I always end up travelling with gym leaders. I've always wondered." Ash stated, pondering this thought.

"That is a bit surprising. One thing I would like to know is how they can travel with you when they're gym leaders. They have a gym to tend to, how does it run when they're travelling with you?" Serena asked.

"Cilan ran it with his brothers and Clemont has a robot named Clembot that does the battles when he's not there. Those are the two I know at least." Ash explained.

"At least those two had a plan. But what about the others?"

"I don't really know yet. I'll ask them one of these days."

Delia then popped her head out from behind the wall. "You two kids doing okay?"

"Yes, mom, we're fine." Ash responded.

"If you need anything, just holler. I'll be around the house."

"Okay mom."

Delia left to go help Mr. Mime with something. Serena had a thought. Her and Ash were both raised by just one parent. She was a little curious to know how it had been for him growing up like that.

"Hey Ash, I just wanted to know something…" Serena started.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"How has it been for you growing up with just your mother?"

Ash was surprised to hear her ask that. No one really bothered to ask him a question regarding that subject. He guessed that since she really wanted to know that he would give her a good answer.

"It's been great I guess. I mean, I know it's hard for both of us without my dad around, but we've managed and it looks like we've done well, so it isn't too bad." He explained. "It's nice to know I've got a mom who loves me and supports me every day. My mom says I mean the world to her and she wouldn't have a life if I wasn't here. I think the same towards her and I thank her for being both my mom and my dad. I don't know where I would be if she wasn't my mom. I wouldn't be the same. I want to thank my mom for everything she's done for me and hopefully one day I can pay her back. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I wouldn't want anyone else to be my mom."

Serena had tears of joy in her eyes after what Ash had said, and it wasn't even towards her. She found it so sincere that Ash thought so highly of his mother and that he'd rather not exist than live without her. What she took from that was: Always put family before friends, no matter the circumstances.

Serena wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Ash, I'm so glad that you love your mother to the moon and back. I love how you cherish your mom for raising you alone and supporting you throughout your life, I love hearing that from you."

Ash smiled and then looked at her. "She's a good mother. Raising a child by yourself is not easy, but my mom managed to do so. I guess she made it look easy. My mom will always be the most important woman in my life, no matter what."

Serena had understood what he had said. Making your mother the most important woman to you was a smart thing to do. Serena didn't mind Ash saying that, she wasn't one to push him into thinking otherwise.

"I just really wish I knew who my dad was. Know what he looks like, what kind of person he is, is he still alive?" Ash said.

"Same here." Serena replied.

Ash looked at Serena. "What about you?"

"What about me what?"

"How has it been growing up with just your mother?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, it hasn't been easy for her, but it hasn't necessarily been hard for her either. Since she was a famous Rhyhorn racer, she made ends meet with minimal difficulty. She wasn't looking forward to raising me by herself but she was in a line of work where she had only very few problems. She had me in her life so I was her pride and joy. I'm very important to her and she's very important to me." She explained. "But just like you said, I wish I knew who my dad was. I would give anything to see him again, get to know him."

"Me too." Ash stated. "I guess there are some things we have in common."

"Yep."

An hour later, it was time for the two of them to depart for Brock's, so they got their footwear on and got ready to leave. Ash had to go up to his room to fetch his cap so he wouldn't forget it and look a little different than usual in front of Brock. Once he was back downstairs, Serena had a little basket in her hands that contained something. Ash wasn't going to ask since she'd probably tell him later. They said goodbye to Delia and left towards Pewter. It was going to be a long walk.

Right when they reached the forest nearby, Ash looked around the trees, seeing the various Pokemon he was familiar with: Pidgeys, Caterpies, Metapods, you name it.

"Sure is nice to walk out here." Ash commented, admiring everything that was around them.

"Yeah. As long as the Beedrill aren't around and attacking you without notice." Serena added.

"That's true."

"I really don't like them doing that. I don't have an idea why they would."

Ash looked up to a spot in the sky that wasn't occupied by Pokemon. "It's just in their nature. They don't like it when someone or people approach their territory. A lot of Pokemon are like that."

"Those are Pokemon I can live without." Serena commented.

"Whatever trainers that are lucky enough to capture them have it easy." Ash added. "Or are able to fend them off with commands. I wish I could do something like that."

"I bet everyone wishes they could do that."

"You know, that reminds me of somebody." Ash stated.

"Wait, you met someone who could fend off Pokemon by telling them to stop?" Serena asked.

"She couldn't just do it with talking, she was able to do it telepathically." Ash answered.

Serena's jaw immediately dropped. "Are you serious?"

"I'm completely serious. Her name is Anabel. She's a frontier brain here in Kanto. Back before I challenged her when I met her for the first time, Pikachu and I were out jogging, training for our next frontier battle. A swarm of Beedrill popped out of nowhere and flew after us. After about a few seconds she jumped into the path of the Beedrill and communicated with it telepathically and calmed it down."

Serena still looked dumbfounded. "So she was able to understand Pokemon were saying?"

Ash nodded. "I was beyond surprised that she was able to do it. I thought she was pretty cool. I hope I run into her again someday and ask her all about it."

"I hope I'm there with you. I'd like to know all about that about her too." Serena stated.

"If I ever plan on doing so, you can come along. I haven't seen her since then." Ash said.

"Sounds like a plan."

After walking for nearly an hour, they finally reached Pewter City. Brock's gym wasn't that far off so they were almost there. Since Ash had been there before, it was easy for him to find it. Not even five minutes later, they reached Brock's house. Ash knocked on the door. They suddenly heard a lot of metal, probably pans, slamming around inside, then loud, slow footsteps. A few seconds later Brock opened the door, revealing himself.

Brock folded his arms and smiled. "What took you guys so long?" He playfully teased.

"Believe me, we got here as fast as we could." Ash replied, playing along with Brock's antics.

"I'm just playing around. Come on in guys." Brock said, stepping aside and letting the two in, closing the door after they entered. "I was just doing dishes before you guys came in. I'm almost done so you guys can go sit in the family room until I finish."

Brock then went back into the kitchen to complete his duty while Ash and Serena went into the family room, sitting down on the couch. Brock's mother came into the room, spotting the two there.

"Oh hey Ash. Good to see you." Lola greeted.

"Hey Lola. How have you been?" Ash asked.

"Never better. And who is this lovely young lady with you?"

"This is my girlfriend Serena. I don't think you two have met."

Lola held her hand in front of Serena. "Nice to meet you, Serena. I'm Lola, Brock's mom."

Serena smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too."

"So this is the girl Brock told me you were dating. Ash, it's nice to see you have grown up a bit since I last saw you." Lola commented.

"Believe me, she's made me mature a little bit." Ash replied. Brock's father then entered the room, catching Ash and Serena out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh hey Ash. How have you been?"

"Great. What about you?"

"Pretty much the same. Is this your girlfriend with you?" Flint asked.

"Yeah, this is Serena. We've been going out for about four months." Ash responded.

Flint shook Serena's hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm glad I finally got to see you in person. Brock has said so much about you."

"He has?" Serena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He only talks about you two every so often. Most of the time he's talking about him and his girlfriend Lucy." Flint stated.

"Well, it's nice to know that he finally got a girl that likes him back. After all he went through on our journeys, I'm happy that he found one that actually feels the same way." Ash explained.

"They're inseparable, that's for sure." Flint remarked. Brock came into the room, having finished doing the dishes. "Hey, you done?"

"Yeah, I just got finished. Ash, Serena, you guys ready?"

They both nodded and got up from their seats. Serena put the basket she brought down on the table. Lola took it and went to go put it in the kitchen where it would be safe.

"Careful in there Brock, Forrest is training your Steelix and Golem in there, so watch where you guys go." Flint stated.

"Okay dad." Brock replied and continued leading the two to the gym.

They walked over to the gym since it was on the same property as Brock's house. Once they went in, it seemed quiet, with the exception of a few clanks from Forest's training in the back.

Serena awed at the sight of the gym. It was so large, yet so well maintained. She thought it was a beautiful gym. Brock and his family sure kept it presentable.

"Wow Brock! This has got to be the best looking gym I've seen." She commented.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even better looking than the ones we visited this past summer."

"Thanks Serena. No one has really given it that much of a compliment, so it's good to know someone appreciates it." Brock said.

"Yep. This was the place where I had my very first gym battle. I wish it could have gone better, but it was a good memory nonetheless." Ash stated.

"So this is the gym you used to lead?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. This is about the whole deal." Brock responded.

"It's nice to see that you've kept it in pristine condition, even after travelling with Ash."

"Yeah, a few of my brothers and sisters and my parents keep it top notch while I'm not home. They deserve the credit."

"You must have been one heck of a gym leader." Serena commented. "Hard to believe you battled Ash at one point, let alone the first gym battle he had."

"Yeah, it wasn't much of a battle though. First time I forfeited and when I came back I almost beat him but something happened that made me want to stop the battle."

"What was that?"

"The sprinklers turned on and soaked Brock's Onix and I was about to have Pikachu use thunderbolt on him, but I didn't want to beat him that way. It would have been too easy of a win."

Serena smiled. "Even at the beginning of your journey you had some smarts in you."

"Yeah, well, I told Brock that it wouldn't have proven anything if I let that happen. But even after that he gave me a badge anyway, which surprised me a bit." Ash added.

"Maybe you proved something to Brock that you didn't know about." Serena commented. Ash looked at Brock.

"Is she telling the truth Brock?"

"Actually, yes."

"What was it?"

"Well, it was-"

Suddenly there was a loud rumble. It sounded like it came from within the gym.

"What was that?" Serena shouted, covering her head with her hands.

"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from here on the inside." Ash added.

"Let's go check it out." Brock ordered and the three of them rushed off to find the source of the disturbance. Once they went to the back of the gym, they found Brock's Steelix and Golem lying on the floor. One of Brock's little brothers, Forrest, was there, looking on in shock. Maybe it had to do with something he did. But what? The three of them walked up to him to see what had happened.

"Forrest, what happened here?" Brock asked.

"Well, I had Golem and Steelix take on each other physically. But when they hit each other, their attacks had too much power and they both took a huge blow. That's why they're lying on the floor, fainted." Forrest explained.

"Whoa, yikes!" Ash remarked.

"I'm really sorry Brock. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't know their attacks would have been as strong as they were." Forrest stated.

Brock smiled and put his hands on Forrest's shoulders. "It's all right Forrest. I know it wasn't intentional. Everybody makes mistakes like this, even me… even Ash, right?" Brock said, looking at Ash after he had said his name.

Ash closed his eyes, sweat dropped, smiled, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, that is true. I'm not Mr. Perfect that's for sure." Serena giggled after his statement.

Brock put his attention back on Forrest. "So I'm not mad at you, not in the slightest. Don't feel bad about one error, it's how you learn, right?"

Forrest smiled. "Right."

Brock then pulled his brother in for a hug. Forrest embraced his older brother. "I will do my best to not do this again." He released from the hug then looked at Ash. "So how have you been Ash? It's been a while since I've seen you."

"I've been great, Forrest. Never better."

"And you must be Serena. This must be the girlfriend of Ash's that Brock's always talking about."

"Yep. That's who I am." Serena replied.

Forrest went up to her, grabbed her hand and kissed it. "You're really pretty. Ash is very lucky to have you."

Serena blushed at the comment. "Aww, thank you. You're so sweet."

"Ash, you don't mind that I kissed her hand, do you?"

Ash put his hand up. "Not at all."

Then the one question that Ash had thought about this morning came into his mind. "Hey Brock?"

"Yeah?"

"Would it be okay if you and I had a battle?"

"Sure, but what for?"

"Since the first battle we had here a long time ago didn't have an official ending, how about we make that happen now?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

A few minutes later, they started their one on one battle. Since Ash only brought Pikachu with him, he chose him, and since Brock didn't want to use Steelix or Golem after what happened, he went with Crobat. Forrest served as the referee.

Forrest raised both his arms in the air. "And… begin!"

"Okay Ash, I'll let you go first." Brock said.

"All right. Pikachu, use quick attack!" Ash commanded and the yellow mouse ran on all fours towards Crobat.

"Crobat, dodge and use supersonic!" Brock ordered and Geodude went up into the air and sent a supersonic wave at Pikachu.

The two were finally going to settle this once and for all. A six year span since these two squared off for the first time and they finally had another chance to see what would happen. It wasn't for a badge, but Ash wanted to know how he kept up with Brock this time around, and he was looking forward to it.

Six hours later, after Ash and Brock's battle, which ended with Ash victorious, Ash and Serena decided it was time to head home. After eating the macarons that Serena had brought with her, the two thought that they would call it a day and go on home and said they would see Brock on Monday at school. After a one hour trek home, since it was Saturday and they had been together the whole day, Ash asked Serena if she would like to stay over tonight. She accepted but wanted to clear it with her mom first, and Ash's. They entered Ash's house, where Delia was standing only a few feet away. She noticed the two walk in.

"Hey you two, how was the visit?"

"Pretty cool. It was awesome to see Brock's gym for the first time in a while." Ash responded. "Hey, is it okay if Serena stays the night here?"

"Of course. It's no problem." Delia answered.

"Okay, but I've got to go call my mom to see if it's okay with her too." Serena said.

"All right mom, we're going up to my room." Ash said and started making his way towards the stairs, but not before being turned around and pulled into a hug by his mom.

"Thanks for everything you said about me." Delia commented.

"What did I say?" Ash asked, confused as to what his mom was talking about.

"I heard your conversation with Serena earlier. You made me feel happy after you said those words. I am proud to have you in my life." She responded.

Ash smiled and returned the hug. "And to you too."

Serena saw the two hugging and giggled. "Like mother, like son."

 **Author's note:** Aww, loving and cherishing your family is a beautiful thing. Loving your mother for everything she's done for you is a sincere thing to do. I always tell my mom I love her every day, I hope you guys do too. Well, to the chapter, what a crazy one. At least Forrest's accident with Steelix and Golem wasn't too severe. It's good to know they're okay. I really have nothing else to say, so on to the preview.

The two got out on the dance floor to start their first dance of the night. Ash having remembered what Dawn taught him before prom last year, kept his nerves calm, and put his hand around Serena's waist while she put her arms around his neck. Ash took a deep breath and the two started swaying side to side.

After about a minute, Serena thought she would break the silence between the two of them. "Looks like you remembered what to do."

"Yeah, I haven't really forgotten. I mean, we had our first dance here at prom last year and just because of that I didn't let Dawn's teaching go to waste. I wouldn't want to forget to do this, this is what got us together, right?"

"Right. That was the best night of my life, and I'm hoping this one will fit right up there." She commented.

"Me too. Let's not let anything ruin this night." Ash stated.

"I agree."

The two continued to sway with their dance. Serena put her head and right hand on Ash's chest, remembering she did that on prom night last year. There was no doubt she wanted to make this memory as good as the last, and she didn't know that Ash was thinking the same thing. She saw a few of her friends dancing with each other just like last time. They each looked happy, the same as her and Ash.

After a couple more dances they thought they would take a break. They parted with each other for the meantime since they had something different to do. When Serena walked back to her table, she was stopped by a familiar figure, someone who hadn't really approached her a lot this year, due to obvious reasons, but she didn't look upset, which was odd. That person, you guessed it, happened to be Miette.

"Miette, what do you want?" Serena thought to herself.

"Hey Serena, how has your night been with Ash?" Miette asked.

Meanwhile, Ash was walking towards the men's room, when he too was stopped by a familiar figure. Someone he'd rather not see, and also, because of obvious reasons. It was Paul.

"Paul, what do you want?" Ash thought to himself.

"So Ketchum, what have you been up to lately?" Paul asked.

 **Author's note:** Ooh, okay, what are these two encountering Ash and Serena like this? Who would have known their biggest respective rivals would be? What do they have to say to our favorite couple? Will trouble brew like a cup of coffee in the middle of the Sahara? Boy, I hope not. If you want to find out, sit tight and see in the next installment. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

" **You know I can't let you two go. I ain't made that way."**

 **-Luke Hobbs, Fast Five**


	4. Heartbreaker

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey guys! It's good to be back with another chapter. I think you'll like this one. This chapter probably will have the most amourshipping up to this point, at least that's what I think. Seeing you guys reading and reviewing my chapters makes my day. I guess this would be a good career path for me. I love being creative and that's one of the reasons I love writing. Entertaining you guys is another reason. This is a big part of my life and is a good stepping stone to starting my career. For the last week, eh, just the same. Writing this, playing Xbox, searching for a job. Don't be afraid when it comes to me searching for a job. When I do get a job that is not going to tear me away from this, oh heavens no! I mean, chapter updates probably wouldn't be weekly but I promise that when that comes around it will be right when a chapter finishes, that I guarantee you! So, with my weekly update here, let's get to the responding of reviews. Do whatever you want with them, I'm easy.

 **Jack (Guest #1):** Maybe. Those two could be possibilities. I'll think about it. A one-shot about those two, I'm iffy on it but it's not definite I'll say no. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #2, to both reviews):** I'll make sure it happens and those will be considered. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Are they dating? Well, you'll see it that's true. I will try to add new characters. If you have another OC, by then golly, go ahead. I'm all for it! Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #3):** I will consider putting those things in. Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #4):** It might happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #5):** Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #6):** On occasions she will. Since they already have girlfriends, they won't dance with each other. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #7):** Yes. That was an idea I planned for a future chapter, but the guys and girls will be separated doing their own things. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #8):** Every couple could have trouble at some point in the story. Thanks for the review!

 **Cubs18(Guest #9):** Yes. I am a diehard Seahawks fan. My favorite team is the Eagles but I'm from and live in Washington so I got to root for my home team. Thanks for asking and for the review!

 **Warriors30 (Guest #10):** Don't worry, you will see Selina. Clemont won't be scared of Ally. Ally isn't that type of character. That most likely will happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Thunder35 (Guest #11):** Dawn could end up meeting them. Thanks for hoping to see me improve, I hope I won't let you guys down. I don't think she would let me own them, I don't want to bother her with that. I'm not sure if I will add him to this story but it could happen. That probably won't happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Cavaliers23 (Guest #12):** That could happen, I'm not quite sure yet. Yes, that might happen. I wouldn't date them in a three way relationship, it'd be pretty weird. Thanks for the review!

 **Angels27 (Guest #13):** I will consider reading that story. That could happen in this story. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Oh boy, I don't want to send you back to the grave. I want to keep you in your current state. Don't die on me again, please. I couldn't live with myself. Oh, there is one thing I want to run by you. Remember you gave me an OC in the last story, well, I was thinking about putting him within the next few chapters, if it's okay with you. Thanks for the review!

 **Royals13 (Guest #14):** Maybe. That OC, I might give it a shot. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #15:** Yep. I have high hopes for amourshipping. I just think that the couple has a better chance of happening than any other couple. I'm pretty sure some people would disagree with me, but that's just my opinion. Thanks for the continued support and the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Glad you liked the chapter! I thought them visiting Brock would be a good idea for a chaper. Paul and Miette messing with Ash and Serena's night? To be honest, that would be too predictable and I don't like being predictable. And Ash's battle with Wulfric, I haven't seen that episode yet, I'll keep an eye out. Thanks for the review!

 **Hoot (Guest #16):** That probably won't happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** I really hope you get over your writers block soon. I'm crossing my fingers for you. Someone compared episode 22 to In or Out? I've got to find them and thank them. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Oops, I made that mistake. Thanks for pointing that out. Dang, I was sure I fixed that. I proofread every chapter before I release it, I guess I missed that one. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #17:** I will try those. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #18:** It could happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Red3 (Guest #19):** That probably won't happen, but I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for the review!

 **Mixt Number XV:** Oh my God! It's nice to meet someone else with Aspergers as well. That's great to hear. Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **Raptors10 (Guest #20):** I will consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

It was the end of October, and that meant one of three things, that the first school dance of the year was here, known as homecoming. Every student was excited for it and happy that one good thing was near the beginning of the school year. They had made plans for it for the past week, whether it was finding a date, getting an outfit, or getting all their friends together for it, if they were going with their friends that is.

Serena was twirling around in the mirror, making sure her dress looked okay on her. She thought she would switch it up a little from last year at prom. She wore a black short sleeved dress that had a magenta ribbon around the waist. She had no doubt that Ash would like it. She didn't want to get ahead of herself but she was one hundred percent sure Ash would think it looked beautiful on her. She had a feeling that he would dress up in the same tux he wore last year as it was his dad's and he wanted that to be a regular thing. Plus, she thought he looked rather dashing in it.

"What do you think, Fennekin? Too flashy?" Serena asked her Pokemon.

"Fenne." Fennekin replied, shaking her head.

"I just hope Ash likes it. I took a lot of time picking this out. I don't want it to be a waste."

"I think Ash will think you look fine." A voice said from the doorway.

Serena looked at her mom. "I sure hope so."

"Come on honey, he's your boyfriend, he'll probably think it looks nothing short of great on you." Grace said.

Serena smiled. "You're right mom. Let's hope for the best."

"Okay. By the way, he just called, he will be here in fifteen minutes, so be ready by then."

"All right mom."

As soon as her mom left the room to return downstairs, with that warning, Serena finished making herself look presentable for the dance. She grabbed a pair of earrings that were on her dresser and put them in her ears. She then put on a necklace that her mom let her borrow for the night. She didn't have any of her own so her mom out of insistence let her use it for tonight. It was a circle that looked to be like a small case that had loose diamonds on the inside. Serena liked it. It wasn't the best one her mom had but it seemed to compliment her dress nicely and that was all she cared about. She didn't even bother to put makeup on. She actually never really wore it so what was the use? She tried it once and didn't really care for it. Besides, Ash thought she looked better without it, which was one of the nicest comments that he had ever given her, which meant so much to her. Most girls usually looked horrendous without makeup, but to Ash, she could pull it off well, and that means something.

When it came to Ash making himself look spiffy, she thought that he didn't really need to do that. Ash looked cute no matter what he looked like, at least in her opinion. Well, who else's opinion really mattered? Ash could have the worst bed head and still look handsome, he could be wearing the most wrinkled clothes and still look handsome, he could be wearing nothing but his boxers and-

After that last thought, Serena slapped herself upon the side of the head with the palm of her hand.

"Come on, Serena, don't think like that. Yes he may be your boyfriend but don't get carried away. You don't want your hormones to start raging. Remember what mom always says: I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet. So take that into account." Serena thought to herself.

But then she thought of something else, why was she scolding herself? To this extent? She's a human being. She has desires like everyone else. She then had to take a deep breath and recollect herself and think this through again.

"Okay, I don't want to go overboard. I've got to keep it under control. Ease it down, Serena, act like a lady." She continued to think to herself.

Fennekin looked at her trainer. She seemed to be going through a lot of stress at the moment. What was causing it? Was she nervous about homecoming? Did she forget how to dance with Ash? Since it's been so long since they've danced that she's a little nervous to do it again now that they're in a relationship?

Serena sat down on her bed, put her hands on her knees, and looked down at her feet. Fennekin took this opportunity to help comfort her friend and jumped up onto the bed. Serena saw her and grabbed Fennekin with both arms and put her into her lap and started slowly stroking her head.

"Fennekin, I just realized. This will be the first dance I will have with Ash since we became a couple. Now that I will be dancing with him again tonight, I'm a little shaky about it. What if I screw up while I'm dancing with him? You think he'll care?" Serena asked, still looking at the floor while also still petting Fennekin.

Fennekin looked up at Serena and shook her head. Serena took a deep breath and picked Fennekin up and put her in the air so she was looking Fennekin right in the eyes.

"Fennekin, I'm really happy I'm with Ash now, but I still feel a little nervous around him. I mean, not as much as I was before, but a little bit. Will he think differently of me if he notices that? I just wonder if he is the same way." Serena said. Fennekin then gave Serena a serious look. Serena noticed it and wondered why Fennekin was looking at her like that? She didn't look angry but it seemed she was trying to get a point across to her. Serena then realized what Fennekin was trying to tell her.

"I see what you're trying to do Fennekin. I shouldn't be worried. Even if I am, Ash is not one to judge me like that. I know he won't think any less of me. And if he feels the same way, I won't think any less of him." Serena said, a smile crossing her lips.

Fennekin's expression then turned into a happy one as her trainer now took knowledge of what she was doing. She jumped down from Serena's hands and laid back down in her lap. Serena looked down at her Pokemon and smiled, and returned to petting her head.

Man, even Pokemon know how to deal with these feelings.

Meanwhile, over at Ash's house, he was finishing up preparing himself for homecoming. He was wearing the same tux he wore at prom last year: the one that belonged to his dad when he was younger. He had already called Serena's mom to tell her he'd be over there to meet Serena shortly. His mom thought she would add a red corsage to the top of his jacket to add a little more "pizzaz" as she called it to his appearance. Just like last year, he got a corsage for Serena as well. It looked just like his but pink. Pink was one the colors that looked the best on her, in his opinion. He had combed his spikes a little bit and put some gel in it to give it some style. His hair looked the same but had a few minor tweaks with him sprucing it up. Delia looked at her son, and awed at how he looked.

"That tux still looks great on you."

"Well, mom, I've only worn it once." Ash responded.

"It makes you look like a grown man, which I bet Serena wants to see you as." Delia commented.

"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind. You know how Serena is when it comes to looks." Ash stated.

"Yeah, I know. But even every girl wants to see her boyfriend become a man at one point."

Ash blushed a little at that statement. "Okay mom, we don't need to go too high like that."

"I'm just saying honey, no matter what the girl's personality is, she likes to see her man be like a man, emotionally, mentally, and physically." Delia explained.

"All right mom, I think I get the point." Ash remarked, trying to shove this conversation to the side.

"Okay, I think I will go over and meet Serena. She's probably waiting for me by now." Ash said and started making his way out of the house, but Delia stopped him with one request.

"Make sure you two take a good picture for me while you're there."

Ash should've seen this coming. "Will do mom. I won't forget." He said and left the house, motioning Pikachu to come with him and closing the door behind him.

For the past ten minutes, Serena had continued to sit on her bed, pondering over what might happen tonight. She didn't know how she felt. Was she excited or nervous? Was she ecstatic or scared? Which one could it be? She just couldn't figure it out.

But she realized that she should have nothing to fear. She knew Ash wouldn't want her to be this way tonight. Since the day she first met him, she learned these types of things from him. He always told her to never show her negative emotions on a constant basis, even in important situations like this. She took a few deep breaths to chill herself down. This helped a little, but some of that fear still resided in her, but she knew she had to be strong, another thing she learned from Ash. She mostly saw Ash in this kind of state so she tried to learn to do it the best way she could.

She got up and took a pink ribbon and scissors from the top of her dresser and sat back down on the bed. She cut a long enough piece off and started tying it around Fennekin's neck. Since Pokemon were allowed at dances she thought she would take Fennekin to this one since she didn't do it at prom last year. Ash had already told her he was bringing Pikachu so she thought she would follow suit. Within a minute she had tied it the way she thought looked best on Fennekin. She picked up Fennekin the same way she did earlier to get a better look at her. It looked great! Fennekin couldn't have looked more adorable.

All of a sudden, she heard the doorbell ring. "Oh man, Ash must be here. Come on Fennekin. Let's go."

She turned the light off and closed the door behind her and walked down the stairs. Once she got down there, she looked to the left and saw Ash talking to her mother.

"Okay, I'm ready." She said, catching her mom's and Ash's attention. Ash walked up to her. Serena was a little nervous still.

"Ash, do I look okay?" She asked.

Ash just looked at her and smiled. "I think you look gorgeous."

Serena blushed. "Thanks. And you look very handsome yourself."

"Thank you. But I'm wearing the same thing I did last year though."

"Ash, it doesn't matter to me what you wear. You would look handsome in anything." Serena commented.

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, thanks, but that probably isn't true."

"Come on, I'm serious."

Ash put his left hand on her shoulder. He then took the corsage out of the box and put it on the top left of her dress. Ash giggled, which caught Serena's attention.

"What are you laughing about?"

"You can definitely pull that look of well." He answered.

Serena giggled as well. "Are we going to stand here and complement each other, or are we going to get to the dance?"

"Oh, uh, right. Let's go."

The two locked hands as they walked out the door, but before Grace made a request.

"Make sure you two take a nice picture together."

"Okay mom." Serena responded and they walked out the door.

"Hey, my mom said the same thing before I left."

"I guess our mom's think alike."

Once they reached the halfway point, Serena started feeling a little cold. She cuffed both arms with her hands and shivered. Ash noticed that she looked like she was starting to feel chilly.

"Serena, you okay? You look really cold." Ash said.

"It's a bit frosty outside, so it's starting to hit me." Serena replied.

Ash couldn't let her be like this the rest of the way, so he took off his jacket and put it on her to warm her up a bit.

"Here, wear this. You should feel a little warmer." Ash insisted.

"Thanks Ash." She responded.

To help her out a little more, Ash took his right arm and pulled her up onto him, just so his body heat could add to the warmth of the jacket.

"Stay close. Maybe it could help you a bit." He stated.

Serena snuggled up onto him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder, smiling as she did so. He really was a thoughtful individual wasn't he?

Serena looked down at their two Pokemon. They looked fit for the dance. Fennekin had her ribbon that she put on her and Pikachu had a black bow tie that Ash had put on him. Serena thought Pikachu looked really cute with the bow tie, even proving that Pokemon can be classy.

About ten minutes later they reached the gymnasium that was holding homecoming. It was already getting a lot of people. Ash got a text from Dawn that her and Ally were there, and a text from May stating that her and Shadow were there as well, along with their Pokemon. Ash and Serena instructed Pikachu and Fennekin to go do whatever they wanted but to meet back with them once the dance ended. After being told that, the two Pokemon ran off in separate directions. Ash and Serena had seen the table that Dawn and Ally were sitting at and went over to it and sat down.

"Looks like you guys made it." May remarked.

"Have you seen any of the others yet?" Dawn asked.

"Not that I know of." Ash answered. "Did you guys bring any of your Pokemon with you?"

"Yeah, I brought Buneary with me. She really wanted to come. Piplup was pretty happy for it to so I brought him." Dawn answered.

"I brought along Skitty. She seemed pretty ecstatic to come to a dance so I let her come." May answered.

"Pikachu hasn't really been to a dance in a while, so he might have to get used to this again." Ash explained.

"Where is the little guy?" Dawn asked.

"He went off to do his own thing. I told him it would be fine as long as he checked in every so often just to know he's okay." Ash responded.

"I did the same with Buneary. I'm wondering where she is." Dawn stated.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was off, trying to find any of his Pokemon friends that he knew. Due to most of Ash's friends having not shown up yet, he didn't really have that much luck. Suddenly, he saw a familiar face, one that he travelled with in Sinnoh: Buneary. Pikachu ran up to her and tried to get her attention.

"Pika pika." He said, waving his arm in front of him. Buneary turned around and saw Pikachu there. She then started acting nervous when she saw Pikachu and tried to gain her posture. Since she had a crush on Pikachu, she got Butterfrees in her stomach every time she saw him, like when Serena did when she first met Ash.

Buneary blushed. "Buneary." She said, putting one arm around her back and waving the other.

"Pika pi, Pikachu?" Pikachu said, asking how she's been lately.

"Bun bun Buneary." She replied, telling her that she's been great.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked, wondering if she'd like to come along with him.

"Buneary!" Buneary shouted, agreeing with him. Realizing how quickly and loudly she replied, she covered her mouth and eyes widened. Pikachu knew what to do in this situation. He went up to her, put his arm around her back and gently started pushing her to come along. As they started walking, Buneary felt queasy, being around her crush was not easy, especially if he was being this nice, but she kept her cool and came along with him anyway. They walked to the table their trainers were sitting at and hopped up onto the table.

"Aww, Pikachu found Buneary. And he looks so cute, wearing a bow tie." Ally commented.

"Do you want to know why Buneary is with Pikachu?" Dawn asked Ally.

"Why?"

Dawn went up to Ally's ear and whispered something to her. "My Buneary has a crush on Pikachu."

Ally gasped. She was surprised that even one of Ash's Pokemon had a female Pokemon that had a crush on him. That was surprising.

So the night progressed and after an hour into the dance, Ash and Serena still didn't have their first dance of the night. The rest of their friends did and most of them had it when they got there. Why didn't they have theirs yet? They were still sitting at the table, with only Clemont and Shauna sitting with them as everyone else was out on the dance floor. Clemont had to go use the men's room and left the table. Shauna was eager to tell Ash and Serena something, so right when Clemont was out of earshot, she leaned over to them.

"Can I tell you guys something?"

They both looked at her. "Sure Shauna, what is it?" Ash asked.

"It's nice to see all of you guys in a relationship. But so far Clemont and I are the only ones that aren't officially a couple yet. I really like him but I'm a little nervous to ask him, but I'm going to be strong. I was thinking maybe… of asking him out." Shauna explained.

"Are you completely sure you want to do that?" Ash asked.

"I'm sure. I don't want us to be just friends anymore, I think I'm ready." She added.

"You know what Shauna, I say you go for it." Serena exclaimed.

"Okay. By the end of the night, I'm going to ask him. I just hope being nervous doesn't hinder me."

"Hey Shauna, don't worry, I think if anyone is going to be nervous, it will be Clemont." Ash added. The three of laughed at the statement.

"I just hope it won't be too much on him." Shauna stated. Immediately, Clemont returned to the trio.

"What are you guys talking about?" Clemont asked.

"Nothing in particular." Shauna answered.

A little bit later, Ash and Serena thought that they should finally get out on the dance floor. Ash got up from his seat and offered his hand to her.

"Serena, would you like to dance?"

"Yes Ash, I would love to." Serena responded, taking Ash's hand and standing up.

The two got out on the dance floor to start their first dance of the night. Ash having remembered what Dawn taught him before prom last year, kept his nerves calm, and put his hand around Serena's waist while she put her arms around his neck. Ash took a deep breath and the two started swaying side to side.

After about a minute, Serena thought she would break the silence between the two of them. "Looks like you remembered what to do."

"Yeah, I haven't really forgotten. I mean, we had our first dance here at prom last year and just because of that I didn't let Dawn's teaching go to waste. I wouldn't want to forget to do this, this is what got us together, right?"

"Right. That was the best night of my life, and I'm hoping this one will fit right up there." She commented.

"Me too. Let's not let anything ruin this night." Ash stated.

"I agree."

The two continued to sway with their dance. Serena put her head and right hand on Ash's chest, remembering she did that on prom night last year. There was no doubt she wanted to make this memory as good as the last, and she didn't know that Ash was thinking the same thing. She saw a few of her friends dancing with each other just like last time. They each looked happy, the same as her and Ash.

After a couple more dances they thought they would take a break. They parted with each other for the meantime since they had something different to do. When Serena walked back to her table, she was stopped by a familiar figure, someone who hadn't really approached her a lot this year, due to obvious reasons, but she didn't look upset, which was odd. That person, you guessed it, happened to be Miette.

"Miette, what do you want?" Serena thought to herself.

"Hey Serena, how has your night been with Ash?" Miette asked.

Meanwhile, Ash was walking towards the men's room, when he too was stopped by a familiar figure. Someone he'd rather not see, and also, because of obvious reasons. It was Paul.

"Paul, what do you want?" Ash thought to himself.

"So Ketchum, what have you been up to lately?" Paul asked.

Over with Serena and Miette, Serena was just looking at Miette with an unsure expression.

"My night with Ash has been great. Why?"

"I just want to see how happy you guys make each other. See what's going on."

"Well, we're really happy being together. I'm thrilled I'm with him." Serena added.

"I know you are, and believe it or not, I'm happy for you guys." Miette stated.

Serena then looked confused. "Huh?"

"I know you got Ash before I did, but I don't want to be a sore loser. I'm glad he makes you happy, and I wish you two the best."

Serena had a look of disbelief and surprise. She didn't expect Miette to be like this since she was in a relationship with Ash, but if she was being nice about it, she guessed she wouldn't be negative about it.

"Okay, well, thanks Miette." Serena said.

Miette smiled. "No problem." Then her smile turned into a smirk. "Besides, I have a boyfriend now myself."

"You do?"

"Yep. You'll be seeing him around school so you'll find out who he is." Miette answered then walked away.

Serena was surprised this encounter with Miette was not a downside. Miette actually accepting defeat and appreciating her being with Ash. Maybe Miette wasn't bad after all.

Meanwhile, with Ash and Paul, Paul just greeted Ash out of the blue. Ash wasn't looking forward to this conversation, but decided to go through with it anyway.

"I'm been fine Paul, you?"

"Just fine. I just wanted to let you know I saw how you did in the Pokemon League this past summer."

Ash had a feeling Paul was going to make some smart ass comment that Ash was still weak, so he prepared himself for the worst.

"Yeah, what about it?" Ash asked.

"I'd never thought I would say this, but you're improving." Paul replied.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"

"I didn't really feel comfortable saying it, but I have to admit, you're getting a little better." Paul added.

"I have a hard time believing you, but go on." Ash stated.

"Even though you made it to the final four which is the tied best you've done since you were in the Sinnoh League. But I thought that you did better in your final battle than in Sinnoh that I'm saying you're getting some skill." Paul explained.

Just like Serena, Ash had a look of disbelief and surprise. He didn't expect Paul of all people to be saying this to him, but since he was, he was a little relieved.

"Um, okay, thanks Paul." Ash said, a little unsure if Paul really meant it.

"But just so you know, I'll be travelling in another region next summer. It's called the Alola region and I'm pretty sure you're going to be travelling there too, so I'll be seeing you there. Whenever I see you be ready, I'll still give you a fight, and I want to see how well you have improved." Paul explained.

Ash smiled after what Paul said. "You bet. Just wait for this summer, I won't go easy on you."

Paul turned around, closed his eyes, and smiled. "I won't either. Count on it." After that he walked away.

After both of their encounters with their rivals, Ash and Serena went to find each other so they could continue dancing. Within a minute they found each other.

"Hey, up for another dance?" Ash asked.

"I'd love nothing more." Serena responded. And the two went back on the dance floor and spent the rest of the night in each other's arms.

Later on, after homecoming ended, and the two started heading home. When they came close to their homes, Serena started feeling a little tired and her eyelids started feeling heavy. She opened and closed them many times but she couldn't stay awake and succumbed to her tiredness. Ash noticed her state.

"Serena, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just feeling drowsy."

"You look too tired to continue walking home. I'll carry you the rest of the way."

Serena looked surprised. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Ash answered and picked her up and carried her bridal style the rest of the way home. Serena smiled and rested her head on Ash's shoulder and closed her eyes. Ash looked down at her and smiled and kissed her forehead.

Right when they got to Serena's front doorstep, Ash had a little difficulty opening the door. Luckily, Pikachu and Fennekin worked together to get the door open. Ash carried the sleeping Serena to the stairs when Grace suddenly stopped him.

Grace smiled. "Is she doing okay?"

"Let's just say she had one heck of a night." Ash responded. "She fell asleep on the way home so I carried her the rest of the way. So I'll carry her up to her room then head on home."

"You can stay tonight if you want." Grace insisted.

"You sure? I'll have to call my mom though."

"Don't you worry about that. I'll call her and tell her."

"Okay, thanks Grace." He replied and carried Serena up to her room with Pikachu and Fennekin following close behind. Her door was already open so he carried her over to her bed and gently laid her down. Once she was firmly placed on her bed, Ash kissed her cheek and laid down on the bed next to her, just to make sure she would be okay overnight. He eventually succumbed to drowsiness himself and fell off to sleep, with Pikachu and Fennekin doing as well.

After the night they had, they needed the sleep.

 **Author's note:** There you have it, the homecoming chapter. I think this was my favorite chapter so far. I think it turned out well. But what about you guys? Four chapters in, eleven to go. Things are only getting started. What will happen next for our couple? Well, read this preview and find out.

The final bell rang and it was time to head home. Serena left the classroom before Ash did and made her way to go get Fennekin from the nursery. But within a few second, Ash grabbed her shoulder from behind, causing her to turn around.

"Oh, there you are. Ready to head home? Serena asked.

"Actually, I have to stay after and catch up on some work with Brock, Clemont, and Gary. And I wanted to ask you a favor." Ash explained.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Could you take Pikachu home with you? I'd hate to leave him in that nursery for an hour or two so could you take him home with you, if that's okay?" Ash asked.

"Of course. I'd be more than happy to. I would like to see how Pikachu handles hanging out with me." Serena answered.

"Okay, thanks. I appreciate it." Ash thanked and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you a little later okay?"

"Okay."

After that, Ash ran off towards the library, leaving Serena to go fetch both of their best friends. She walked to the nursery to where their Pokemon were held. Once she entered there, she called to Fennekin to come over, which Fennekin did.

"Hey Pikachu…"

"Pika?"

"Ash has to stay after today and he wanted me to take you home. Are you okay with that?" She asked.

"Pika pika." Pikachu replied, nodding his head and ran his way over to her, standing next to her feet.

"You two ready?"

"Pika."

"Fenne."

"All right, let's go."

 **Author's note:** So Ash has to stay after and wants Serena to watch after Pikachu in the meantime. What will Serena and Pikachu do while Ash catches up on his schoolwork? Serena will probably be able to handle it. This is her boyfriends best friend you know. If you want to know for sure, sit tight and wait for the next chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **And the flowers are still standing!**

 **-Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters**


	5. Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey, hey, hey, what's up people? I've been up to pretty much nothing. Still working on getting a job. Strange thing happened today. I had Chinese food for dinner today and I got a fortune that said: "A new work opportunity will avail itself." Maybe this is a sign. But like I said last chapter, getting a job will not refrain me from working on a chapter and story, and like before, updates will probably not be weekly though, but I will try. I have been working on a novel for a while, and I haven't really made that much progress with it the last few months. I've recently gotten into a video game show called "Eleague" and it's pretty damn cool. I wish I could do something like that. Maybe I could write about video games. Yeah, I just might do that, that's a cool idea. Anyway, when it comes to the story, here is chapter five. And a little heads up, there will be a new character in this chapter. He's pretty much an OC of someone who reads this story (If you're reading this dude, get ready, I know you've been wanting this since In or Out was in progress), even though his OC is actually based off of a character from the anime, but he's different than he is when he was in the anime, and he will be adding some humor to this story. I think adding humor will add a good layer of originality to this story but not to the extent that it will completely detract the main romance/drama genre this story already has. Believe me, I love writing about humor but I want to keep the main genres of this story the same, because if I changed it, it would ruin the story and I don't want to get harsh reviews because of that. I think I've said enough, let's get responding to the reviews.

 **Oliverqueen01:** That seems like a good plan. If you're stuck on a story, take a long break and alert your readers that you won't be writing that story for some time. I think a long break to figure things out will help you in the long run. Don't worry, I believe you will get over this writers block thing with Her Saviour. Oops! It was actually someone comparing your story to In or Out? My bad! It's not your fault. I shouldn't have misinterpreted that one. I wonder what happened in the newest (Well, second newest) episode that made you compare it to episode twenty two. Well, I'll wait and see. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #1):** Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #2):** Yep, Ash is good. No doubt he's my favorite character. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I will look for a PM containing OCs. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #3):** You hope to see the next part? Well, here you go. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #4):** I'm not sure that can happen, but I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #5):** Don't worry, she's all right. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #6):** Like above, it's all right. Thanks for the review!

 **Cavaliers23 (Guest #7):** That's a good suggestion. I might consider that for a chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Pelicans23 (Guest #8):** At the end of the chapter in the preview, you will see that there is a trip planned with, well, it's pretty obvious. May is actually dating Shadow (an OC) and Dawn is dating Ally (an OC). Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Thanks for letting me use the OC you wanted me to use. If you saw what I said in the message above, you might see a surprise character in this chapter. Introducing him that way is no problem. Oh my God! I don't want to do that to you again. What is wrong with me? Glad you liked the chap! Thanks for the review!

 **Royals13 (Guest #9):** They are dating someone, in the names of Shadow and Ally. I haven't really heard that pairing, so I can't say I'm a fan of it yet. I'm mainly an amourshipper as you can see. Thanks for the review!

 **Clippers3 (Guest #10):** Man, you have a lot of questions. Some yes, some maybe not. Ash and Serena will have a problem here and there, but not a lot. No one really would hate Dawn and Ally's relationship. Clemont would probably be the only one that would be nervous, at least a lot. Who are Paul and Miette dating? Well, we might see soon. Thanks for the review!

 **StrayedS:** I could add Aria to this story. It might not be a bad idea. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #11:** The first chapter of the crossover fic is about a couple thousand words done. It could take me some time, but be patient and you'll love what I have to offer. Thanks for the review!

 **Mixt Number XV:** Glad you thought it was a good chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #12):** I don't see them having a bully, don't worry. Since she's with Shadow, it probably won't happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #13:** I hope they get together soon. I think ElectricBounceShipping is underrated. They will probably kiss at some point, and don't worry, they won't break up. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #14:** I sadly don't see that happening. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** You think Miette is dating Paul? That did come to mind as a suggestion, but I think it would be too predictable. Yeah, I like Pikachu and Buneary together. I watched an episode of Diamond of Pearl recently and saw Buneary's affections for Pikachu. Thanks for the review!

 **Thunder35 (Guest #15):** We might possibly find out how they met. I don't think Drew is that kind of character. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** So the last chapter is your favorite chapter so far? To be honest, it's mine too. Like you said, I liked that their dance tightened their bond. Yeah, I think Paul and Miette should have been a little more on the good side talking to Ash and Serena last chapter. I didn't want to be predictable in having them say rude things. The Alola region I'm surprised to hear. You know, that there will be a new region in the next games. I know they do that with every generation of games. I hope Ash and Serena travel together in the next anime, and you're right, let's hope for the best. When it comes to the starters, I would have to agree with you. Really the only one out of the three that looks like a starter to me is Litten, which will probably be my starter in the games. I've always liked fire types since I got into Pokemon. Popplio, not so sure about that one, and Rowlet, I don't think that one looks like a starter at all, I don't see myself ever acquiring one of those in the games. But just like you said, I want to see their evolved forms before making my final judgment. Glad to know you liked the chapter and here is the next one which will answer your theory. Thanks for the review!

 **Raptors10 (Guest #16):** Yes to all of those except the last two. I don't see any of the main characters hating each other. Others, you could see happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Smakwaffle:** Glad you liked the chapter! I think so too. Seeing most of Ash's rivals being nice to him seems like that's what should happen in the anime. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

In the text conversation, Serena's lines will be in **bold** and Ash's will be in _italics_.

It was the end of November, and every student was happy that almost three months of school were over, but dreaded the fact that there was still seven left, but hey, the three months passed by rather quickly didn't it?

Since it was almost the end of November, that meant that there was only three more weeks of school of the year (Well, of the current calendar year that is). And three weeks away was the time of the year every kid and teen admired: Christmas break. They anxiously were waiting for it to come around, but they had to get through three weeks first, and they felt like three weeks was going to take forever. Well, good things come to those who wait, right?

Ash was in his Pokemon attack strategies class, the advanced level class to be exact. He was writing down everything that he could learn that he didn't know about yet. These teachers were experts on this sort of thing. The school really went all out with hiring these teachers did they?

Ash was scribbling note after note of the teacher's explanation of how to increase a Pokemon's dodge ability. This class was an advanced course, so this material was more complex than last year's course. There were so many great techniques that Ash was surprised that existed. When next summer came around, he would definitely be trying these new tactics.

"Okay, that should be all on that subject. And seeing as there are only a few minutes left of class, jot down whatever else I said and wait until the bell rings." Mr. Summers said.

Ash finished the last note, clearly remembering everything that Mr. Summers had said about dodging. After putting a period at the end of his last note, he closed his binder and spun around in his chair to face one of his former Sinnoh rivals, Barry. Barry was still getting down the last of his notes so Ash waited until he was done to talk to him. Within a minute, Barry had finished his notes and closed his binder and placed it to the side. Barry noticed Ash looking right at him and wondered why.

"Hey, Ash, what do you want to talk about?" Barry asked.

"Nothing really. Did you get down everything you needed?" Ash asked.

"I hope so. You?"

"Yeah, I got it all down."

Barry placed his arms on top of each other, apparently ready to talk a little more.

"I saw you in the Pokemon League this last summer. Pretty impressive finishing in the top four." Barry commented.

"Hey thanks, Barry. When's the last time you travelled?" Ash asked.

"Unfortunately, not since Sinnoh."

Ash's eyes widened a little bit. "So, you haven't travelled at all since you last saw me?"

"Nope. I've just been hanging at home since."

Ash was a little surprised. Barry hadn't travelled at all the last few summers. He and Barry didn't get along that well when they were rivals up until the Sinnoh League when Barry rooted for him. Since then, he and Barry got along pretty well.

"How come you haven't?" Ash asked, a little curious as to why Barry hadn't stepped foot in another region.

"I guess that after my loss to Paul in the Sinnoh League, since I got swept that my confidence dropped quite a bit and it really hasn't elevated since so I just stayed home the last three summers." Barry explained.

"Gee Barry, I'm really sorry to hear that." Ash commented.

"It's not your fault. I guess I shouldn't have been that cocky when I was your rival. Yes, I want to be a legendary trainer but I shouldn't underestimate others when I face them, that's probably why I lost to Paul." Barry continued explaining.

"Nah, don't undersell yourself Barry. Paul may be a great trainer but that doesn't mean that you're bad. Every trainer has their bad days, even me. I haven't exactly won every battle I've fought with my Pokemon. At first, I couldn't stand losing, but as I got older I matured a bit and I learned to take losing a little better. Losing only makes you a better trainer as you learn a lot more from a loss than from a win. It's a true statement, believe me." Ash explained.

Barry smiled a bit after hearing what Ash had to say. Ash sure was full of words of wisdom. Barry never realized it before, but Ash was smarter than he thought he was, and he now knows that he should never underestimate an opponent, no matter their skill.

"Thanks for saying all that, Ash. I've been trying to find things to boost my confidence back up and I think your understanding of the subject has helped. So, I think after the school year, I will travel again." Barry stated.

Ash smiled and playfully hit Barry in the shoulder. "Now that's what I'm talking about, Barry. Go for it!"

Barry's smile then turned into a small frown. "But there's just one thing…"

"What?"

"What region are you planning to travel in next?"

"Well, I heard from Paul that there's this region called the Alola region that I plan on travelling in next summer. Maybe you could travel there as well." Ash stated.

"Okay, I think I will give it a shot." Barry answered.

"All right, Barry. Do it."

"And maybe when I'm travelling there, you and I could have a battle again." Barry suggested.

"That'd be awesome, Barry. I'm up for that." Ash replied.

"It's a deal then?"

"It's a deal."

Then the two shook hands and then the bell rang, signaling the time to get to the next class. Ash and Barry got up from their seats, said their goodbyes and went to their next class. Ash's next class was across campus so he had a far walk but he was used to it since the beginning of the year. In the next class, Ash really only had Iris and Tierno in it so there wasn't much of his friends that he could converse with in that period. At least there was somebody, or in this case there were two, but there was no time to be literal. As he continued walking, all that was going on was the loudness of footsteps and chatter. But then…

"BAM!"

There was a loud explosion coming from the boys bathroom, and within seconds, a boy with brown hair, wearing a black and red short sleeved jacket, and a stubble on his face emerged from the bathroom. Water poured out from the under the door. Apparently something happened with either the sinks or the toilets.

"Woo! Bam! That's another one for the record books." The boy cheered, pumping his fists in front of his arms.

"Up to another stunt, Red?" Ash asked.

"You bet. And this one is one of the biggest I've pulled." Red exclaimed.

"What did you do?" Ash asked, somewhat curious as to what Red had done.

"I dropped a cherry bomb into the toilet full of acid." Red answered.

"YOU WHAT?"

"I know, crazy right?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty crazy."

"No doubt."

"Red, don't you even consider the fact that you could get caught?"

"Hey, if I haven't been caught the first forty seven times I've pulled a stunt, what are the odds that I'll be caught now?" Red remarked.

"Just be careful. I wouldn't want you to get suspended and then expelled for doing something like this. I'm surprised you haven't been caught." Ash stated.

"Hey, I'm not one to brag, but I'm a master of my work." Red said, tapping his head with his right pointer finger. A few seconds later, Serena came running to the scene.

"What the heck was that?" She asked, clearly stunned by the loud explosion.

"Just another one of Red's stunts." Ash responded.

"Oh, okay. What kind of stunt was it?"

"Toilets, acid, cherry bomb. Need I say more?" Ash stated.

"Red, did you seriously do that?" Serena asked. Red pounded his chest with his right fist, telling her yes. "Wow Red, pretty intense."

"I know, right? Anyway, I've got to get to my next class. After that, I'll be pouring hot sauce in the teacher's lounge coffee. Gotta run!" Red said and ran off, waving to the two, with them waving back.

"So I'll see you at lunch then?"

"Yeah."

And the two parted ways. Ash reached his next class with twenty seconds left to spare, so he made it. He sat down in his seat and leaned his head back after slamming his binder down on his desk. Iris and Tierno, who sat at the same table he did, noticed his exhaustion.

"Tired, Ash?" Iris asked.

"Nah, just exhausted from walking across campus." He responded.

"So you are tired?"

"No, I'm exhausted."

"What's the difference."

"Tired means you feel drowsy, exhausted means you're low on energy from moving too much." Ash explained.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Iris said.

"So how was your last class?" Tierno asked.

"Just the ordinary, dude." Ash answered.

"Okay. You ready for-"

Suddenly the bell rang, starting class. Ash ignored the bell and kept his head back. The teacher, Mrs. Emmerson, patted Ash on the head.

"Heads up, Mr. Ketchum."

Ash jolted his eyes open and sprung his head forward. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay, Ash. I understand that you're a little bushed from walking from your last class. Just be alert for this one."

Ash rubbed his eyes with his left hand and opened his binder, getting ready for class. He took out his pencil and started spinning it in his hand.

Well, at least there was two periods until he could relax.

The last four periods flew by. The final bell was about to ring. Serena closed her binder after finishing her last assignment. She couldn't wait for this day to be over and go home. She was just going to grab Fennekin and head on home with Ash. She pinched her eyes and rubbed them. Today had taken a little toll on her, but she was still high on energy. She had wanted to ask Ash if he could do something after school, but she had to wait a minute first.

The final bell rang and it was time to head home. Serena left the classroom before Ash did and made her way to go get Fennekin from the nursery. But within a few second, Ash grabbed her shoulder from behind, causing her to turn around.

"Oh, there you are. Ready to head home? Serena asked.

"Actually, I have to stay after and catch up on some work with Brock, Clemont, and Gary. And I wanted to ask you a favor." Ash explained.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Could you take Pikachu home with you? I'd hate to leave him in that nursery for an hour or two so could you take him home with you, if that's okay?" Ash asked.

"Of course. I'd be more than happy to. I would like to see how Pikachu handles hanging out with me." Serena answered.

"Okay, thanks. I appreciate it." Ash thanked and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you a little later okay?"

"Okay."

After that, Ash ran off towards the library, leaving Serena to go fetch both of their best friends. She walked to the nursery to where their Pokemon were held. Once she entered there, she called to Fennekin to come over, which Fennekin did.

"Hey Pikachu…"

"Pika?"

"Ash has to stay after today and he wanted me to take you home. Are you okay with that?" She asked.

"Pika pika." Pikachu replied, nodding his head and ran his way over to her, standing next to her feet.

"You two ready?"

"Pika."

"Fenne."

"All right, let's go."

Well, there goes the question she was going to ask Ash. She really wanted to do that thing with him but she guessed that she could wait until tomorrow.

So with that she picked up Fennekin. But how would Pikachu go with her? She didn't want him to walk down on the ground and she already had Fennekin in her hands. So what could she do?

"Wait… that could work." She thought.

"Hey Pikachu, why don't you hop up on my shoulder so you aren't all by yourself down there?" She asked him.

Pikachu nodded. "Pika."

Serena released one hand from Fennekin and reached down for Pikachu so he could climb up onto her shoulder. Once she got a hold of the yellow mouse he trotted up her arm and onto her left shoulder, which was the shoulder of Ash's he was always on.

"All right, let's go."

With that she left the nursery and then out the school's front doors and headed towards her house. She reminded herself that she had to call Delia and tell her that Ash stayed after and she had Pikachu so she wouldn't worry. But one thing came to her mind…

She had never been left alone with Pikachu before. Ash had never wanted her to take care of him on her own, mainly because he never had to or ask her to do it. Occasions rarely ever popped up for this such thing. She didn't want to doubt herself that she could take care of him, but she never had something like this happen to her. But she had a feeling she would not let Ash down. This was her boyfriend's best friend after all. She has experience doing it. She always takes care of Fennekin and plus, when Pikachu was attacked by Beedrill earlier that year, she knew how to heal his injuries and he was all fine and dandy after she helped the little guy, and Ash expressed how grateful he was the morning he found out she had nursed Pikachu back to health. She wouldn't forget that day. So she really had nothing to worry about.

She reached her house within fifteen minutes. When she walked in the door her mother was just coming in from the other room. Once her mother saw Pikachu on her shoulder, she looked confused.

"Honey, why do you have Pikachu with you?"

"Ash had to stay after school and catch up on some schoolwork and he asked me if I could take care of Pikachu for him until he was done." Serena explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, take good care of him. I'm pretty sure Ash is trusting you with him."

"Yes I know mom. He's in good hands. I won't let Ash down."

"All right. Now go do what you need to do." She said and walked back into the other room. After her mom had disappeared, she went up to her room, still with Fennekin in her arms and Pikachu on her shoulder. She opened the door to her room and walked in. When she got near her bed, she bent down and let go of Fennekin who leaped onto the floor once Serena released her. Pikachu, since she had no grip on him, just hopped off onto her bed. Pikachu knew what her room was, he had been there before, just not without Ash. Serena laid her binder down on her dresser, took off her hat and boots, and sat down next to Pikachu.

"So… what do you want to do, Pikachu."

Pikachu shrugged his shoulders. "Pika pi."

"We can do whatever you want. We've got lots of free time until Ash leaves school."

Pikachu was stuck. He had no idea what the three of them could do. He and Ash would think of anything to do. Half the time it was training, but the other half was basically anything Ash suggested. He was pretty good at suggesting things, but he wasn't there to help so what could he do?

"Fenne?" Fennekin said, pointing at the window, blinds open and letting the shimmering sun beam through to their eyes. She jumped up onto the bed and then up to the window, pointing once again at it, looking at Pikachu. Pikachu smiled and walked closer to it with Fennekin. Luckily the sun wasn't bright enough to turn their eyes to ashes, so it was a pleasant sight.

Serena followed suit and scooted over on the bed to get a good view of the outdoors. It was a nice sighting and she enjoyed every second of it. It was nice that Pikachu and Fennekin were as well, it was a moment for them to admire.

A little later, Serena suggested that the three of them head to the field that Ash and her always go to when they're together. The two Pokemon knew about this field and were the only two other than Ash and Serena that knew about this spot, since Ash and Serena said that this field was exclusive to them and not let anybody else know about it other than them and their two Pokemon.

Once they reached it, Pikachu and Fennekin went into the field of flowers to frolic around in them. Serena decided to do nothing but watch them. So she sat down and put her hands on her knees and watched the two Pokemon jump around. She giggled to herself as she watched the both of them goofing around. It was a time to relax for all three of them. Listening to the rustling of Pikachu and Fennekin in the flowers and the wisps of the wind occupied the air. Serena looked up into the air, and saw the many Pidgeys flying around gracefully in the air. The brightness of the sun made them a little hard to see but they were still visible. Serena thought there was nothing more beautiful to see in the sky. While she was watching, Pikachu, with a few flowers in his little mouth, walked up to Serena. Serena, having heard Pikachu's footsteps, looked down and saw him in front of her.

Pikachu took the flowers out of his mouth and handed them to Serena. "Pika pi?"

"Aww, thanks Pikachu. This is very thoughtful of you, and they're a beautiful bunch." She said and leaned down and laid a peck on the yellow mouse's head, making him blush a little, just like she did whenever Ash kissed her on the cheek.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She grabbed her phone and saw that there was a message from Ash.

" _I'm taking a little break. How is Pikachu?"_

" **He's doing great! He just gave me a small bunch of flowers just now actually."**

" _Oh that's cool. It's nice to see him think of you."_

" **The little guy is a sweetheart. He treats me as if I'm his second trainer."**

" _I think Pikachu thinks of you that way."_

" **Does he really?"**

" _Yeah. If I were to go somewhere by myself and couldn't take him, he'd want to be with you. If I were to go someday, he'd want to be with you. He really does think of you that way."_

" **I'm happy to hear that. I'm happy to know that he thinks of me on an occasional basis."**

" _He thinks of you more than that. He trusts you one hundred ten percent, that's why he likes you so much."_

" **He's a chipper little Pokemon. That's why I like him."**

" _That's good. Anyway, I'll be here a little longer, maybe an hour or two more, so you can have more fun with him."_

" **Good. I'll see you then."**

" _I'll see you then."_

" **I miss you."**

" _I miss you too. See you in a couple hours."_

After that Serena put her phone back in her pocket. When she looked up, she saw Pikachu picking out more flowers, Fennekin as well. Pikachu had about four or five stacked in a pile while Fennekin had what seemed like ten. Serena wondered why they were making their own piles. What were they making them for? Why so many? She didn't want to dwell on it so she let those reasons be kept to them and continued watching them pick flower after flower.

After about a half an hour at the field, Serena, Pikachu, and Fennekin decided to walk back home. Pikachu had about a couple or so dozen roses in his arms while Fennekin had the same amount in her mouth. Serena took a few to lighten the load for them. Serena was a little curious, so she raised the ones she had up to her nose and gave them a sniff. They had a very original smell. They didn't smell like the usual smell of flowers, it was different, and she liked different.

Pikachu and Fennekin trotted along the trail. They looked at each other and smiled. Serena liked to see that Pikachu and Fennekin got along so well, which made her smile as well. She started humming to herself as she walked along with them.

But alas, things were not going to go smoothly this time around. As a loud "caw" was heard in the distance. The three of them looked around to see where that came from. Pikachu was the first to catch it.

"PIKA!" The yellow mouse shouted, pointing up in the air, where a flock of Spearow were in the sky, glaring daggers at them. Serena gasped and Fennekin dropped the flowers in her mouth. The lead Spearow then cawed again and they flew down charging.

There was no getting out of this. Serena didn't want to get attacked, but she didn't want to run away either. She needed to be tough, she needed to be fearless. Ash had taught her to be this way and she had been learning well lately. With that in mind, a look of determination spread across her face, ready to give out the command. Pikachu and Fennekin took the same stance as she did, ready to give it their all. And within a second, Serena said those famous words that Ash said on a constant basis when in danger.

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!"

Pikachu charged up and let loose a devastating jolt of electricity, sending it toward the Spearow.

"Okay, Fennekin, you use flamethrower."

A ball of flames ignited in Fennekin's mouth and she let loose and strong stream of fire. The thunderbolt and flamethrower hurled toward the Spearow. Now the Spearow were in fear. Immediately, both the thunderbolt and flamethrower collided into the Spearow. The Spearow, having been hit with two attacks at the same time, got the spirals in their eyes and fell down twenty feet to the ground, groaning as they hit it. Seeing as their foes have been defeated, Serena, Pikachu, and Fennekin breathed a sigh of relief, having avoided a catastrophe. Seeing as to what happened, Serena smiled.

"Wow, now I kind of feel the rush Ash gets saying that." She said to herself. After that, the three of them picked up the flowers that they dropped and headed on back home.

A half hour later, in Serena's room. Serena and Fennekin were putting the flowers that Fennekin got and put them in a vase to put in her room. Pikachu on the other hand, was trying to tie a red ribbon around his bouquet, to no avail. Serena noticed the difficulty Pikachu was having and picked up the bouquet and neatly tied the ribbon around the middle of the stem and handed them back to him, making him smile in the process. Pikachu wanted to give the roses to someone special, as he saw them as a great friend. He wanted to give them to Buneary, seeing as the two grew even closer lately since homecoming, and he thought she deserved them. Serena and Fennekin finished putting the flowers in the vase and Serena put them on top of her dresser, and the flowers looked beautiful on it.

"You two really did a good job picking these. Thank you!" Serena said. Pikachu and Fennekin nodded their heads, telling her "you're welcome".

An hour passed by, and the three of them had fallen asleep after working on the flowers and eating a few apples and berries they had collected on the way home. Fennekin was laying by Serena's feet, while Serena had Pikachu cradled in her arms. They had fallen asleep twenty minutes ago, needing to after what happened to them. Entering the doorway was Ash, who had recently got done with his schoolwork and came by to pick up Pikachu. He walked up to the bed, and Serena, due to being a light sleeper, woke up and saw him there in front of her. Pikachu awoke as well. Serena quickly sat up, keeping Pikachu in her arms.

"Hey, you're here." She said.

"Yeah. Just got done twenty five minutes ago. Was Pikachu okay?" He asked.

She nodded her head. "He was terrific. Didn't cause one problem. He actually helped me with one today." She stated.

"What was that?"

Serena then explained the predicament that they went through in the forest with the Spearow. Ash was surprised, yet amazed, at how the three of them got out of something like that.

"Thanks for helping her out buddy." Ash commented to his buddy, rubbing his head. "Hey, you actually look cute with Pikachu in your arms like that."

"I do?"

"Mm hm."

Pikachu then hopped out of her arms and onto Ash's shoulder. "Okay, we should get home. My mom's probably waiting for me."

"Okay."

"Thanks for watching him for me."

"Anytime."

The two shared a quick kiss and then Ash and Pikachu left the room to head home. Ash waved goodbye to Fennekin as well. As soon as they were out of sight and she heard the front door close, Serena recollected what happened today. She got a lot closer to her boyfriend's best friend, and had a moment to remember forever. She learned a lot today, and she hoped that another day like this would happen in the future.

Yep, she hoped she could do this more often.

 **Author's note:** What a day it was for those three. I think Serena bonding with Pikachu was a pretty neat idea. See what they could do together when Ash is not around. I think this was an okay chapter. I liked the idea for it but I'd say it was just a decent chapter. What did you guys think? Leave them in a review but before you do, read the preview.

Ash was thinking what he gift he could get for Serena for Christmas. He had known her for almost a whole year and dated her for six months, but he didn't have an idea of what he could get her. He had never gotten a gift for her before.

"Man, what kind of gift would Serena like? I know what kind of things she likes but I want to go out of the ordinary. What could that be?" Ash thought to himself. Grace looked over at him and noticed he was stuck in thought.

"Ash, you doing okay? It seems like you're thinking too hard." Grace stated, concerned for Ash's current state.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm still trying to think of what I could get for Serena. I don't want to disappoint her." Ash stated.

Grace placed her hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash, I think Serena could care less of what you get her. She'd be fine with whatever you get her. She's not a picky girl. As long as you get her something, she would be fine with it." Grace explained.

"You think so?"

"I know so. Come on. She's been my daughter for seventeen years, I know what kind of person she is."

Ash took a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay Grace, I think I might have an easier time doing this."

She smiled and patted the shoulder she had her hand on. "Now that's what I like to hear."

With that, Ash resumed thinking of what he could get Serena. A little pep talk from Grace smoothed things out quite a bit. Now, he was more determined and confident to make his first Christmas with Serena one to be treasured forever, that he was sure about.

"All right Ash, let's do this." Ash thought to himself and he and Grace continued walking, ready to see what they could think of.

 **Author's note:** Okay, it seems that the next chapter is going to take place during Christmas break. Actually, the next two are going to be set during that time. Will Ash be able to think of a gift to make Serena happy? What will Serena get for Ash? Well, we'll see won't we? Sit tight, grab some candy and soda, and see what unfolds in the next chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **What kind of computer do you own? And please don't say a white one.**

 **-Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory, Episode The Peanut Reaction**


	6. Get Busy Livin'

**TDBigJ's message:** O_O. Uh oh. I'm two days late with an update. What did I do? Actually, let me explain. I was trying to get the chapter up on Friday, but I couldn't get it up because every time I tried to get the chapter here onto Fanfiction it would say "file upload failed" and I tried and tried to get it up but the same thing would happen every time and I couldn't think of any other way to fix it. I don't know why it was happening. I was trying to upload the chapter the same way I usually do, but yet that happened. It just said it was not in the right format but like I said, I tried to upload the way I usually do. So that's why you're getting the chapter on a Sunday rather than the usual Friday. I'm very sorry about it guys. You probably hate me now. I don't know if Fanfiction had a problem or what, I have no clue. Once again, I'm sorry. I promise, I PROMISE the next chapter will be out this Friday, as long as there are no issues at that time. Okay with that being said, let me get to the rest of the stuff I usually say. Nothing going on with me, yet again. I've had a pretty good weekend. Yesterday I went to a Mariners game (my home team). Sadly, they lost 2-1, even though they should have won. I'm not going into detail, because I'm pretty sure you guys could care less, unless you're from/live in Washington and/or a Mariners fan. I just recently watched a video on Youtube about the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon games. Man, those legendaries look pretty wicked (Okay, who says wicked anymore?). I thought they looked pretty cool. But I'll wait to play the games when they come out until I have my final judgment. With all that banter set aside, let's get to the responding of reviews.

 **Rams30 (Guest #1):** Maybe she could get him that. Someone could. Yes. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Something happened between Ash and Serena in that episode? Something no one thought would happen? Well, thanks for not spoiling it, even though someone's review might have, but it doesn't matter to me. Even if something is spoiled in an episode that I have not watched yet, it actually doesn't ruin the episode for me. I would watch it anyway. Oh, and don't be so hard on yourself for making that mistake. When you're half awake, you do things, so don't feel bad. You don't like Iris, huh? I guess she's all right. But the "you're such a kid" line wasn't really that clever. I don't know why she would always call him something like that. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I hope so too. Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #2):** The main couple is going on vacation. I wouldn't like to see them broken up. She most likely will. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #3:** I'm glad you're excited for the crossover fic. I promise I won't disappoint you. I've got a few ideas for it. Thanks for keeping my spirits up for Amourshipping. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Glad I portrayed Red perfectly. Seriously, I tried my best to make him the way you requested, and it looks like I did a good job according to you. Making him do stunts that would make people think he's insane would be a pretty good challenge. Yeah, it's good that Serena and Pikachu get some time together. I'd like to see that happen in the anime. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #4):** We most likely see them make new friends. Maybe that could happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #5):** Well, I'll do my best to give you a good chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Mixt Number XV:** I'm glad you think that Pikachu bonding without Ash really helps his character development. I would have to agree with you on that. Thanks for saying it was a great idea for a chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #6):** We will most likely just see Ash's gift to Serena. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #7):** They could. And maybe they might kiss, I will add something in the next chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #8):** Of course, just send me the info. Don't worry, I don't think they will ever separate. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Thanks for saying I did a good job with the last chapter. I might add scenes in a chapter of what occurs during that time. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, seeing Pikachu and Serena get along is something we haven't seen a lot in stories or the anime and I would like to see that. I think Ash giving Serena a gift symbolizing their relationship would be a good idea and I think I have one for the next chapter. Oh, I guess I made a mistake, huh? I actually haven't seen that episode yet and I am shocked to hear that Ash yelled at Serena. That is not something I would ever expect to hear. Doing that after losing a gym battle is something we have not seen from Ash in a while. But don't worry, you didn't ruin the episode for me. As I said in my response to oliverqueen01's review above even if something is spoiled from an episode I haven't seen yet, it doesn't make me want to watch the episode any less, so when the episode airs in English, I will see what happens. I don't want to know Serena's reaction to Ash yelling at her, I want to see what it is for myself. It's just that Ash getting upset after a loss is something we have not seen from Ash in a while. I remember that he got upset after losing to Brawly in Advance but after that I don't remember him getting upset after a loss, even when he lost in a league. I'll see you in a bit. Thanks for the review!

 **Cavaliers23 (Guest #9):** We could see that. I'll find a way to squeeze it in. Thanks for the review!

 **Dodgers22 (Guest #10):** Maybe we can. Thanks for the review!

 **76ers (Guest #11):** They could kiss. Maybe not that far into the future. No, no one will pick on them. Of course they'll support them. Whoa, I wouldn't go that far. Thanks for the review!

 **Marlins16 (Guest #12):** I'm not sure what pink haired girl you're talking about. Of course. Clemont should get some help from them when Shauna plans to ask him out. I know May isn't that type of character. Thanks for the review!

 **Lily (Guest #13):** I think they already have girlfriends. Dawn and Ally won't break up. Maybe she might. I don't think they're there yet. I wouldn't go that far, even if he is that kind of character. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

Ash had been spending the last forty minutes packing his bags. He needed to make sure that he had everything he needed for the trip. The trip he was taking was going to be with Serena, his mom, and Grace. They were going to go up to the mountains and spend their whole Christmas vacation at a cabin, and the best part was, they were going to have it all to themselves.

Ash had counted numerous times to see if he had everything he needed and got what he still didn't have in his bag. His bag consisted of clothes, snowgear, toiletries, and some devices to occupy his time when he needed some leisure. He had gotten a couple of his Pokemon from Oak's lab to come with him on the trip.

He had grabbed a few more items from around his room and went over his bag one last time. He had everything this time and he then zipped up his bag. He had also filled a backpack that he had lying around and put anonymous items in that he couldn't fit in his bag. He was set to go.

He put a long sleeve jacket on, the blue one he wore in Kalos whenever it was cold. He actually dressed differently today. Since it was now winter and it was very chilly he had his usual pants and shoes on, but this time he wore a white long sleeve shirt that was currently covered by the jacket that he just put on, and he for on rare occasions was not wearing a hat, even though he was bringing his many hats with him but he decided not to wear one at the moment. Besides, he actually liked the freezing cold wind push his hair.

He grabbed the two bags he had packed and made his way downstairs and put them by the stairs. His mom was with Mr. Mime up in her room preparing herself. Ash went into the family room and sat on the couch and flicked on the tv and took his phone out and looked at it, seeing if any of his friends sent him a text or tried to call him. None of them did, so he surfed some of the other parts of his phone, letting the tv emit in the background. He usually watched tv on most occasions, but sometimes, he needed something going on in the room so it wouldn't be quiet if he was doing something like this.

When he was done doing that, he thought he would go into the kitchen and make some coffee for him and his mom. Within five minutes the coffee was brewed and he took out two mugs and filled them each with joe. He put the extra parts in each coffee, like milk and all that other stuff. He didn't like just plain black coffee, it tasted too disgusting to him, it needed to have at least one extra ingredient in there, that he could handle. Once he had those other necessities and after he stirred it, he took a drink out of it, seriously needing the caffeine. His mom came down the stairs with two bags in her hands with Mr. Mime having another one himself. Due to the weight of the bags, his mom almost tripped and fell over but was able to recover and reach the bottom of the stairs and put her bags next to his with Mr. Mime following suit. His mom walked into the kitchen and he handed her the mug of coffee he had prepared for her. She gladly grabbed it and took a sip.

"Thanks for making this honey." She thanked.

"You're welcome. Thought you might need it." He replied.

"Did you put the usual stuff in it?"

"Yes mom. I know how you like your coffee."

He took another drink out of his. "So, when do we plan on leaving?"

"About another hour. Serena and her mom got up fifteen minutes ago and they need to pack themselves and do, you know, their girl routine of getting ready in the morning." Delia explained.

"All right. Is there anything I need to do before we go?" Ash asked.

"Nothing comes to mind, so you can go do whatever. Just be ready to go when the time comes. You never know, they might get done sooner than you think."

"Okay." Ash responded and took his mug of coffee and went into the family room.

Over at the other house, Serena had been packing her bag hastily for twenty minutes now. She basically needed the same things Ash had packed for the trip. She had a smaller suitcase filled already and was currently filling another one up and it was almost full. The only thing she didn't pack in the bags were her usual clothes, since the weather was freezing cold out she didn't feel the need to pack those clothes. She needed all the warm clothes she could pack. She already had Fennekin squared away and she planned on getting her Pancham and Eevee from Oak's before they left, she didn't want them missing out on this. She knew that Ash was going to bring a couple of his Pokemon but she didn't know which. He didn't tell her last night. But she didn't mind, she wanted it to surprise her, which she liked.

She crammed whatever else she could fit in her bags and closed it. Luckily it wasn't too stuffed to the point that she couldn't close it. She was wearing a different outfit today. She was wearing a pink long sleeve shirt with some jeans and sneakers. But just so she wouldn't forget, she took the blue ribbon from her usual attire and tied it to the top of the shirt she was wearing. She wanted to know what Ash would say when she wore it on something else other than her everyday outfit. It probably wouldn't change, she knew it would be something positive.

She took both her bags that she had and carried them downstairs and put them by the staircase. She looked around the downstairs and didn't see her mom anywhere, so she must have not been done yet. So she roamed around downstairs. She went to the front window and looked outside. It was snowing. It must have been doing that since early this morning a few hours before she woke up. It was completely covered outside. Talk about white out.

Fennekin came running into the room. Serena looked down and picked her up so she could let Fennekin look at what she was looking at. Fennekin liked it when it snowed. She would frolic around the snow and play around in it until she was completely covered in the powdery substance. She did that once, and when she did, Serena couldn't even find her. Fennekin liked to mess around with Serena once in a while. Pokemon could do this too, right?

"Isn't it beautiful, Fennekin?"

"Fenne."

"I remember that one time when you were out in the snow and I couldn't find you. You were a little mischievous one, weren't you?"

"Fen."

"Yeah, I looked for you for about fifteen minutes before I found you."

Fennekin smirked after that. Serena didn't notice it so she got off it scotch free. It was one of the times Fennekin got away with something from her trainer, and it really wasn't that bad.

Serena sighed. "Just to think Fennekin, this will be my first Christmas with Ash, our first Christmas with Ash. I'm so happy that I get to spend it with him as his girlfriend."

Serena imagined how this trip would go. They were going to spend two and a half weeks up in the mountains in a lodge. Since it was Christmas break, school was over for the year. Well, the calendar year that is. Every student was excited for the break, and Serena was no exception. She knew that Ash was hyped up for it as well, but she had to admit she was more. Her mom came downstairs with three bags in her hands.

"Serena, could you give me a hand with these bags?"

Serena looked over. "Oh, sure thing mom."

She rushed over and took one of the bags her mom had carried down and put it at the foot of the stairs. Her mom had no trouble getting the other two bags down.

"Okay, just so you know, I just called Ash's mom, we will be leaving in about fifty minutes. So during that time, do whatever and get anything else you need for this trip." Grace explained.

"All right mom."

Serena thought this would be a good time to get some coffee ready for her and her mom. So she went and did so. When it was done within a few minutes, she poured a mug for her and her mom. She took a sip out of hers when her mom came into the room, then she gave her mom her cup, who then took a sip out of hers.

"Honey, I'm going back up into my room to finish up. Do whatever you need to do until we have to leave." Grace said and went up to her room to finish preparing.

Serena had put the extra necessities in her coffee and went downstairs to watch tv until she had to leave. She wanted to leave now so she could have as much fun for two and a half weeks as she could.

Yep, this was going to be one hell of a Christmas break.

Fifty minutes later, Ash had started packing his mom's car with their bags, since it was now time to leave. Since there was only four bags between him and his mom, it didn't take him long. Once he was done, he took the travel mug he had filled with coffee and took a swig out of it. He needed all the caffeine he could consume to stay awake during the long car ride to the cabin. It was a three hour drive to the cabin so he wanted to stay awake for at least most of the ride, although he wouldn't mind if he fell asleep for the ride, but for now, he just focused on staying awake.

"Got all our stuff in there, honey?" Delia asked.

"It's all in there mom." Ash replied.

Serena and Grace had seen the two and came over with their bags. Ash took each of them and put them in the back of his mom's car and closed it. Ash picked up his mug and took another gulp out of it.

"Getting your buzz?" Serena asked.

"Yep. Definitely going to need it for the trip up there." Ash responded.

"Well, don't drink too much. You could end up crashing."

"Eh, either way, I'll be fine."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Either way?"

"Whether I stay awake or fall asleep, I don't care. I will try to stay awake if I can." Ash stated.

"I see. That's why I'm having some myself." Serena said, showing him her travel mug.

"Good to be prepared, huh?"

"Mm hm."

Grace came over and put her hand on both their shoulders for a brief moment. "Come on you two, we're going to be heading out. Get in the car."

After that notification, the two of them got in the car. All packed and ready to go, Delia started the car and drove off, starting their trek.

An hour and a half later, they reached the halfway point of their trip. Delia and Grace had been conversing the whole time. Since they didn't want to interrupt anything their mothers had to say, Ash and Serena just quietly whispered their words to each other. But recently, since the car ride was becoming long, Serena had fallen asleep. She hadn't drank as much coffee as Ash had and he surprisingly didn't crash from the caffeine, but she was still a little drowsy since she woke up so early this morning. It was only 9:22 in the morning but they all had been up since before 7:30. Serena was the only one asleep right now, and she was resting her head on Ash's shoulder. Since they got into a relationship, Ash didn't mind this sort of thing. Not that he ever would. Even if they weren't, he wouldn't have cared regardless. He slightly moved his head to the left to see her sleeping peacefully. He smiled and stroked her hair with the back of his hand.

"She's kind of cute sleeping like that." He thought to himself. Delia looked back at them in the rearview mirror.

"You two doing okay back there?"

"We're doing fine mom. Serena fell asleep though." He replied.

"She must have still been a little tired from waking up early this morning." Grace stated.

With that, Delia looked forward and continued driving. Since he really had nothing to do for the rest of the ride, Ash planted a kiss on Serena's forehead and fell asleep himself.

An hour and a half later, they reached the lodge. Everyone carried their bags in and placed them down near the front door. They all shook the snow off their shoes before Delia closed the door behind them.

"Get comfortable, because it'll be a long two weeks." Grace stated.

"Oh, I hope so." Ash said to himself as he picked up his two bags and carried them up to the room he was staying in. He opened the door and was amazed by what he saw. The room was huge. It had a master size bed, a flat screen tv, two bathrooms, a DVD player, etc. It was perfect. He went to go check the other rooms to see if they were any different and to make sure that the room he checked out wasn't the master bedroom. And to his luck, it was true. He placed the bags next to the closet and ran over and jumped onto the bed. He let himself sink into the bed. It was magic. The mattress was so comfortable that it felt like he was laying on a cloud of Swablu feathers. He turned around on the mattress so that he was face first in it. He didn't care if anyone saw him doing this. It wouldn't bother him.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Ash's head popped up from the mattress. He looked over at who asked that question. He didn't expect anyone to pop in the room, much less Serena.

"Yeah, I am." He replied.

She put her bags down next to his and walked up to the bed. She stood there for a few seconds, then she jumped onto the bed herself backwards. Unluckily for Ash, she landed roughly on him, narrowly making him lose his breath in the process, mainly because her back slammed into his stomach. Fortunately, the pain only lasted a few seconds. Serena scooted down so that her head was on his stomach. She folded her hands and looked at the ceiling.

"Don't worry, I wasn't concerned. I've just never seen you do something like that before." She said.

"I just had a moment. I know it's not like me to do that."

Serena felt around the bed. "But seeing as to what your moment was, I can't help but see why you're doing it. This bed is pretty soft."

"Okay, are you going to have a moment too?" Ash chuckled.

Serena just giggled. "Very funny." She looked back up. "Looks like we will be having this room to ourselves, since there are three rooms in this cabin and our moms will each have their own room."

"I like the sound of that."

She then got up and pulled him up. "Come on, let's see the rest of the cabin." And with that she pulled his hand and led him out of the room.

Yep. This was going to be a good two and a half weeks.

Later on that night, the two were laying on the bed, watching the tv. Serena was curled up and laying her head on Ash's chest. Ash had his left arm around her. Serena was feeling pretty tired, and her eyes started closing. Ash had noticed her eyelids drooping.

"Serena, you okay?"

Serena swiftly opened her eyelids, only for them to fall again. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Long day?"

"No. I'm just feeling tired."

"Well, if you want to go to sleep, you can. I don't mind you falling asleep on me." Ash stated.

"No, I'm fine. I can sleep on the pillow. Don't worry about me." Serena said.

"Serena, I insist. If you want to fall asleep where you are, go ahead. When you fall into a deep enough sleep, I'll put you under the covers so you can stay warm. Okay?"

Serena smiled. "Okay." And then she took Ash's hand and kissed it and fell off to sleep.

He let her drift off to sleep. He didn't want to bug her while she slept so he kept his movement to a minimum. He looked down at her sleeping form.

"Yep. She really is cute when she's asleep." He thought to himself and focused his eyes on the tv again. Pikachu was looking at his buddy from a chair he was laying in with Fennekin from the other side of the room. Pikachu liked that Ash was enjoying the start of the vacation with Serena, and he himself liked that he was spending it with one of his best friends in Fennekin. Pikachu started feeling drowsy and fell to sleep as well.

A few days later, the four of them decided to go Christmas shopping at the shopping center in town. Since they wanted to switch things up a little, Delia and Serena went together, and Grace and Ash went together. Ash and Serena's respective Pokemon went with the other as well so the surprise was still intact.

After they split, Serena immediately went to thinking of what to get Ash. Ash liked all sorts of things, but she wanted to go down a different road. What could she get Ash?

"Hm, what would Ash like for a gift? I want it to surprise him, but what will do it?" She thought to herself. Delia took notice of this.

"Serena, what's on your mind?"

"Oh, I'm just thinking of something different to get Ash. I don't want to be plain and boring. I want to think of something special." Serena answered.

"Oh honey, I'm pretty sure Ash will accept anything you get him. If you get him something that comes from the heart, I think he will be happy with it." Delia explained.

Pikachu climbed up onto Serena's shoulder. "Pika pika."

"You know what, you guys are right. If I put some thought into it, I think Ash will like what I get him." Serena stated.

"Right on. Now go see what you can think of."

Serena's confidence boosted a little. She had a good feeling she would get the perfect gift for Ash. And with that she went off searching, confident that she could get this right.

Meanwhile, over with Ash and Grace, Ash had started doing the same thing. He was walking along with Grace and Fennekin when he had begun.

Ash was thinking what he gift he could get for Serena for Christmas. He had known her for almost a whole year and dated her for six months, but he didn't have an idea of what he could get her. He had never gotten a gift for her before.

"Man, what kind of gift would Serena like? I know what kind of things she likes but I want to go out of the ordinary. What could that be?" Ash thought to himself. Grace looked over at him and noticed he was stuck in thought.

"Ash, you doing okay? It seems like you're thinking too hard." Grace stated, concerned for Ash's current state.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm still trying to think of what I could get for Serena. I don't want to disappoint her." Ash stated.

Grace placed her hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash, I think Serena could care less of what you get her. She'd be fine with whatever you get her. She's not a picky girl. As long as you get her something, she would be fine with it." Grace explained.

"You think so?"

"I know so. Come on. She's been my daughter for seventeen years, I know what kind of person she is."

Ash took a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay Grace, I think I might have an easier time doing this."

She smiled and patted the shoulder she had her hand on. "Now that's what I like to hear."

With that, Ash resumed thinking of what he could get Serena. A little pep talk from Grace smoothed things out quite a bit. Now, he was more determined and confident to make his first Christmas with Serena one to be treasured forever, that he was sure about.

"All right Ash, let's do this." Ash thought to himself and he and Grace continued walking, ready to see what they could think of.

Ash spent the next ten minutes, trying to come up with as many ideas as he could. None of them stood out, but then…

"Wait, she could like that. I'll give it a shot." He thought to himself.

"Grace, I think I know what to get Serena." He said.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I'm going to go get it for her. I'll be right back."

"Just meet me by the escalators when you're done, okay?"

Ash gave her a thumbs up and walked off to get what he thought would be perfect for Serena. Once he got to his destination, he went to work.

Fifteen minutes later he had gotten his gift for Serena. He hoped that Serena would like what he got her. He crossed his fingers for it.

Serena on the other hand, had gotten her gift for Ash. She also was hoping for the best. Hoping that Ash would like what she got him. This was a gift that came from her heart, and there was no doubt he would like that sort of thing. They each looked at their gifts.

"Serena, I hope you like this." Ash thought to himself.

"Ash, I hope you like this." Serena thought to herself.

They both thought that simultaneously. They wanted to make this first Christmas together memorable, and hopes were high that it would be something to be treasured forever.

Oh, let's hope so.

 **Author's note:** Well how about that? A good start to the Christmas vacation. I also hope that their first Christmas will be memorable. Will it? Well, we'll find out in a week. I thought this was a pretty good chapter. One of my favorites so far, but I think next week's chapter will be even better. We'll see, right? Anyway, enough of my blabbering, let's get to the preview.

It was now the time to exchange gifts. Everyone present went to get their gifts. Two of them went at a time so they wouldn't spoil what they got each other.

Ash and Serena were both excited to see what they got for each other. They both had told each other it was a great gift. They of course didn't give any hints as to what it was. They didn't want to ruin it.

When all the gifts were downstairs and organized to each person, they started and went in order of rotation. Ash and Serena both held their gifts to one another in their hands, hopes high in their minds. They were going to open each other's gifts last.

"Serena, I hope you like this. I put a lot of thought into it."

"Ash, I hope you like this. I don't want to disappoint you."

When all but Ash and Serena's gift to each other were open, now it was time. They each were a little nervous about how the other's response would be. They stood in front of each other and took a deep breath. Now it was the moment of truth.

Ash handed his gift to Serena. "Here, I hope you like it."

Serena took hers then handed Ash his. "I hope you like yours too."

They both looked at their gifts for a moment. Ash thought he would be a gentleman and let Serena go first.

"Why don't you go first?" He asked.

"Actually, how about you?" She asked.

"Come on, ladies first."

She sighed. "All right."

Serena started unwrapping her gift. When she finished tearing off all the paper, there were two small white boxes. She was wondering what Ash was up to. What kind of items would be in these boxes?

"Aren't you going to open them?" He asked.

Serena snapped back into her focus. "Oh, right, sorry." She then placed both the boxes down in front of her and opened them both at the same time. Once she saw what they were, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

 **Author's note:** Ooh, what is Ash up to? What kinds of items did he get her? What did she get him? Will they both be pleased with what they got for each other? Will I ever stop asking so many questions? All this will be answered in the next chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **I want to get chocolate wasted!**

 **-Becky Feder, Grown Ups**


	7. Diamond In the Rough

**TDBigJ's message:** All right. Here is the chapter on a Friday like I promised. I hope no one is coming after me with pitchforks and torches after last week's late update. But don't worry, this week is on time. *Urp* Sorry about that. My stomach is burning as I type this. I had a burrito for dinner that had habaneros in it. I know, I'm an idiot for eating habaneros. Everybody knows how hot those things are. But hey, I love spicy food. It's a bad habit. I've had a pretty fun week. From Monday through yesterday I had been watching E3, and I have to admit, some pretty cool looking games coming out within the next year, and those customizable Xbox One controllers, man, I've got to get me one of those. New Xbox One S coming out this year and Project Scorpio coming out next year, oh boy am I hyped. Enough with my gaming fantasies for now, the new chapter is here. Here is the conclusion to the Christmas break for everybody. And everybody other than Ash and Serena are going to be in this chapter, and we'll see what gifts they got. I've really got nothing else to say, so let's get to the responding of the reviews and then the chapter.

 **Espeon44:** It was great! Even though the Mariners lost I still had a lot of fun. My mom suggested that we do it again, and I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #1, to both reviews):** You'll find out this chapter. If you want him to. If you want her to. Sure. Of course they do! I don't think that will happen. Thanks for the reviews!

 **Klay (Guest #2):** Glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #3):** You most certainly will. I can't leave them out. I'm not sure if I did a good job with all of them though. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #4):** That won't happen, don't worry. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #5):** His girlfriend is May. Yes, they will hug. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #6):** No, she probably won't be. Maybe. Maybe not. Mariners game was great! They could. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #7, to both reviews):** I will put them in. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, I felt like I dragged it on for a while. The presents he gives, her, hey, you never know. Those would seem like a gift she would like and what he would like. I will try watching the episodes in Japanese. Glad you like that final line I put in, nice that you thought it was funny. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #8:** The crossover is making progress. And thanks for the amourshipping support. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, I know right? I wonder why a lot of the people prefer the sub to the dub. I've heard something like "the dialogue is better". Her reaction was considered that bad? Oh boy, that ain't good. With your guesses, we'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Ha ha! You see that a lot on tv shows, don't you? Liked the last part of your review. I'll try not to kill you again this chapter, although I'm afraid. Thanks for the review!

 **Mixt Number XV:** Glad it was a good chapter! Chocolate wasted does sound good. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** It's good to know you find my endings funny. I don't aim them to be that way, but thank you. Thanks for the review!

 **Golden Tiger (Guest #9):** Don't worry, she won't get pregnant. I wouldn't even consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Rockies27 (Guest #10):** Yes, those things could happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Becky (Guest #11):** We surely will. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

The day was getting near, Christmas. Just one day away. It was currently Christmas Eve, and everyone was making their final preparations for the big day that everyone treasured. Most people were wrapping up their presents, some were shopping for dinner.

Ash at the moment was wrapping up his gifts to Serena. He got two gifts for her. He hoped that she would like them, but like Grace said, Serena wasn't picky, so he doubted that she would care what he got her, as long as he put some thought into it. He knew she would do it with his gifts as well, so he wanted to take extra precautions.

He sighed. "Serena, I really hope you like these."

He put the last couple pieces of tape on the gift and put a bow on top. He checked around the gift to see if there were any open spots. None. Perfect. He went downstairs and put them under the tree. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. Wrapping gifts and feeling nervous sure makes you sweat a little, even in cold weather. He walked over to the couch and sat down, laying back, looking up at the ceiling. His mom looked over at him.

"Done wrapping your gifts, honey?"

"Yeah, just finished."

She looked back down at her magazine. "Good job. It's good to be prepared ahead of time."

"I guess."

Suddenly, Pikachu hopped up onto the top of the couch next to Ash's head and started patting it.

"Pika, pika!"

Ash looked up at Pikachu. "What is it, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, slowly raising his arms.

"Okay buddy, I'm not following you."

Pikachu jumped off the couch and went and grabbed some flowers off a nearby table and went up to his previous spot on the couch.

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu said, pointing at the flowers in his mouth, which made his voice muffled. Ash suddenly go the clue.

"Oh I see. You want to call Buneary. I'll go put her up on the monitor for you." He said and got up and went up to the monitor in the other room and brought up Dawn's number. Within a few seconds, Dawn popped up on the screen.

"Oh, hey Ash, what d'ya need?"

"Hey Dawn. Do you have Buneary with you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Pikachu wants to talk to her. Is that okay?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, of course."

After that, she got up from her seat and went and got Buneary. A minute later, Dawn had Buneary in her arms and placed her down on the seat. With that, Ash moved off the monitor and Pikachu hopped up on it. Buneary, no doubt, was happy to see Pikachu and waved to him.

"Buneary!"

Pikachu waved back. "Pika."

Pikachu regained his composure. "Pika, pika." He asked, wondering if she received his gift.

"Bun, Buneary." She nodded, confirming that she did, holding it up for him to see.

"Pika Pi." Pikachu said, relieved that Buneary got his gift.

Ash went and sat back down on the couch in his previous position. His mom was curious to why Pikachu wanted to call Buneary.

"Why did Pikachu want to call Buneary?"

"He just wanted to know if she got his gift to her."

"What did he get her?"

"Some flowers and berries he picked himself."

Delia didn't know Pikachu had that amount of thoughtfulness, let alone feelings for another Pokemon. She was surprised but was happy that he was like that.

"Aww, so sweet!" She commented and went back to reading her magazine.

Meanwhile upstairs, Serena was putting the final touches on her gift to Ash. She was confident that he would like it because it was about something he was really dedicated to.

Once it was fully wrapped, she took it downstairs and put it under the tree like Ash did. She went over to the couch and bounced down into the spot next to him.

"Ready for tomorrow?"

Ash looked over at her. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Definitely."

"I really hope you like the gift that I got you. I put a lot of thought into it and I know that it's you."

Ash liked what she was bringing up. "And I got you something that I know is your style. I hope you like it."

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?"

"We sure will. Seeing as to how we described our gifts to each other, I'm hyped to see what they are." He stated.

Pikachu, having finished making his call to Buneary, came running over and jumping up onto Ash's lap.

"What were you up to Pikachu?" Serena asked.

"He made a call to Buneary. Made sure that she got his gift to her." Ash answered. Pikachu hopped onto Serena's lap a moment later. She stroked the top of the rodent's head, making him let out a "cha" as a sign of relaxation.

"You're an interesting little mouse, aren't you Pikachu?" Serena stated, mentioning his thoughtfulness.

"Believe me, he is. I haven't really seen this side of him until I met you." Ash said.

Serena chuckled. "I guess he's taking after you."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

"Since you met me, I may have changed you in a way that changed Pikachu as well. I guess it's like he's a Pokemon version of you." Serena explained.

"Hm, I never really looked at it that way. I kind of like the sound of that." Ash remarked.

"I thought you would."

It was now 3:00 in the morning, and everyone was sound asleep. It was now Christmas, but everyone had to wait until the morning for the day to start. Some people could hardly sleep because they were so excited. Even the adults were excited for it, showing their inner kid. But for most, sleep came easy. Not even the anticipation for the most treasured day of the year could keep some people awake. Waiting for Christmas day for a day, a week, a month, or a whole year since the last Christmas was such a pain, but good things come to those who wait.

A few hours later, at the time of 8:00, the sun was rising. But for the young couple, the curtains were closed and the glare from the sun was barely shining through, so it didn't wake them. Pikachu and Fennekin were already raising from their slumber. Looking over at the clock, Pikachu noticed the time, and now looking over at Fennekin, gave the fire fox a small nod and they went over and jumped up onto the bed and within a few seconds, jumped up on the top of their trainers. Since Serena was a light sleeper, she awoke in an instant. But Ash was otherwise. He was a pretty heavy sleeper, so he stayed asleep. Pikachu knew how to wake Ash up in these situations if the method he tried didn't work, and if you knew him, you would too.

He went to the edge of the bed and with knowledge of this particular thing, Fennekin leaped off the bed, Serena wondering why. But within a second, she realized what he was doing and swiftly threw the covers off of her and got out of the bed and stood next to Fennekin.

Pikachu, without any hesitation, sprung into the air and started jolting up with electricity. He spun around once and in a quick maneuver, let loose a powerful thunderbolt (Okay, not powerful enough to kill Ash or knock him unconscious, but powerful enough to keep him awake for a week). Once the thunderbolt hit Ash, Ash was flung off the bed, suffering the effects of the thunderbolt. Ash cringed and grunted at the attack. After about five seconds of being electrocuted, Ash fell back down onto his bed, feeling like he was barbequed well done.

"Not the way I imagined waking up on a day like this." Ash commented, laying spread eagled on the bed. Pikachu came up to him and rubbed his head against his.

Ash chuckled. "Don't think that makes up for what you just did." He said sarcastically. Serena giggled at the scene. She even had to admit this was funny. She went over to his side of the bed and slid her hands under his back and lifted him up.

"Well, if you weren't such a heavy sleeper, maybe that wouldn't have to happen." She remarked, giggling at the beginning of her sentence.

"Hey, I can't help what kind of sleeper I am." Ash exclaimed, being playful.

"Come on, just get up. You're awake so there's no use dozing off again." She said.

"Hey, I wouldn't doze off anyway. It's Christmas and I'm stoked to the point where I couldn't get anymore sleep." Ash stated.

Ash went into his back and grabbed a few clothes. "I'll just go into the bathroom and change so I'm not doing it in front of you."

"Why? You still nervous to change in front of a girl?" She asked.

"Is that wrong?"

"Come on, Ash. It's the wet jacket and shirt thing all over again."

Ash did remember that day earlier that year. Last school year that one day when all the Senior chaos was going on, when he saved Serena from being hit by multiple water balloons and taking all the hits himself. Afterwards, when she insisted they go to his house and dry his wet clothes, it made him feel uncomfortable, especially when she stared at him after he took them off. But at that time, they weren't in a relationship. They were now, and he thought that he should probably get used to it.

"Maybe I can try to get over it." He stated. "Now, I'll get changed into my day clothes." And he went into the bathroom to do so.

Serena had a confused look. "And yet he still goes into the bathroom." She said to herself.

 **Dawn, Ally, May, and Shadow**

Since Ally and Shadow were siblings, Dawn and May and their families spent the holidays together. But were they really complaining?

All four of them and their families were down and already opening their gifts. In fact, they were down to their last ones. All that was left were Dawn's and Ally's gifts to each other, and May's and Shadow's to each other. They each handed their gift to one another.

Dawn started opening her gift that Ally gave her. "You didn't have to get this for me."

Ally shrugged her shoulders. "It's Christmas, I wanted to."

Once Dawn was finished opening it, she took the lid off the box. She put the box down and lifted up what was in the box. It was a white dress. It had pink frills on the neckline and diamonds around the sleeves.

"So?"

"Ally, it's gorgeous."

"Yeah. I got it for you because I know what you like. You can wear it during contests when you're on a journey."

Dawn smiled. "Thank you so much. I love it! Now, see what I got you."

Ally tore the paper off and what was inside was a scrapbook. And there was frames in the cover, and each frame contained a picture of her Pokemon.

"I really like it. Thank you."

"I got the pictures you took that you gave me and I trimmed them so they could fit in the frames. I'm glad you like it."

Ally smiled and kissed Dawn. They loved what they got each other. But now, it was May and Shadow's turn.

"Why don't you go first?" May suggested.

"Hey, hey, ladies first." Shadow stated.

Liking that Shadow was being a gentleman, May unwrapped her gift. What was under the paper, was a video camera, in a box of course. May was surprised. Shadow went all out for her.

"Wow, Shadow, this is great! But why?"

"Look, I know how when you're on a journey and you like to do your "May's expeditions" thing. When you put your fingers in front of your face like a camera, I kind of got the idea for this. I knew that it would be something you like." Shadow explained.

"Uh, thanks Shadow. Now I can film my expeditions for real." May said. "Look at what I got you."

After Shadow unwrapped the paper, he lifted the lid off the box and took the item out. It was a leather jacket, something he had been wanting for a few years.

"A leather jacket? Wow! I love it! Now I can wear something when it's cold out. Thanks babe."

The two of them kissed and hugged. Looks like the all four of them were having a great Christmas.

 **Clemont and Shauna**

It was a little different for them. Clemont and Shauna weren't in a relationship but they still decided to spend Christmas together.

They had given their gifts to each other and were going to open them. Clemont insisted that Shauna open her's first. She unwrapped the paper and saw what was inside: a new phone.

"Thanks Clemont. But I've already got a phone."

"Look, I know how much you've been hating your phone lately. How it's always slow and crashing often. So I took the liberty of getting you a new one." Clemont explained.

Shauna smiled and planted a peck on Clemont's cheek, making him blush.

"Wait, you didn't make this yourself did you?"

"Uh, no I-"

Shauna giggled. "I'm just playing around." She looked down at her phone. "It's kind of almost like the gift I got you."

"Oh." Clemont then started opening his gift. Once it was visible, he found out it was a tablet.

"Ooh, wow! Shauna, how?"

"I just knew a way. You like it?"

"I love it!"

"It's just something you can use to plan your inventions. You can create layouts, design them, whatever. You name it. I thought you might need something like that."

Clemont was surprised. He didn't know how she got it but she did. He pulled her into a tight hug, which she returned.

"I'm getting closer." She thought to herself. Bonnie, who was near them, had a grin on her face.

"He's getting closer." She thought to herself.

 **Brock and Lucy**

Brock was excited. He was spending Christmas with a girl. Well, with a girl other than his mother and sisters. He was spending it with Lucy.

They were about to open their gifts to each other. But Brock was nervous. He wasn't sure if she would like it. She unwrapped it and it was a blue box. She opened it to reveal to blue pearl earrings.

"Brock, they're beautiful."

"You like them."

"I love them! But, how could you get these? These must have cost you a lot."

"Actually, those blue pearls are from a real Clampearl."

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Very serious."

"I hope that you like yours." Lucy stated.

Brock opened his. It was a video picture frame. Pictures of the two of them went through on the screen. He was amazed with it.

"Is it okay?"

"I really like it."

"I hope it's not too frugal."

Brock smiled and kissed her. "Hey, it's the thought that counts."

Lucy smiled. "Merry Christmas, Brock."

"Merry Christmas, Lucy."

 **Ash and Serena**

It was now the time to exchange gifts. Everyone present went to get their gifts. Two of them went at a time so they wouldn't spoil what they got each other.

Ash and Serena were both excited to see what they got for each other. They both had told each other it was a great gift. They of course didn't give any hints as to what it was. They didn't want to ruin it.

When all the gifts were downstairs and organized to each person, they started and went in order of rotation. Ash and Serena both held their gifts to one another in their hands, hopes high in their minds. They were going to open each other's gifts last.

"Serena, I hope you like this. I put a lot of thought into it."

"Ash, I hope you like this. I don't want to disappoint you."

When all but Ash and Serena's gift to each other were open, now it was time. They each were a little nervous about how the other's response would be. They stood in front of each other and took a deep breath. Now it was the moment of truth.

Ash handed his gift to Serena. "Here, I hope you like it."

Serena took hers then handed Ash his. "I hope you like yours too."

They both looked at their gifts for a moment. Ash thought he would be a gentleman and let Serena go first.

"Why don't you go first?" He asked.

"Actually, how about you?" She asked.

"Come on, ladies first."

She sighed. "All right."

Serena started unwrapping her gift. When she finished tearing off all the paper, there were two small white boxes. She was wondering what Ash was up to. What kind of items would be in these boxes?

"Aren't you going to open them?" He asked.

Serena snapped back into her focus. "Oh, right, sorry." She then placed both the boxes down in front of her and opened them both at the same time. Once she saw what they were, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

She took the item out that was from the smallest of the two boxes: A charm bracelet. It was really stunning. There were many different charms on it, each of something that she liked. Some of the charms were of her Pokemon. It had a Fennekin, a Pancham, and an Eevee. Other charms consisted of: A pokeball, a heart, a rose, etc. She really liked it.

The other box consisted of a necklace. It was simply beautiful. It had a key on it, but what caught her eye was that there was a heart on the top of it. What did that mean?

"So, what do you think?" He asked.

She held each gift in her hands and looked up at him. "Ash, I… I… don't know what to say. How-"

Ash frowned a little bit. "Is it too much?"

"No, it's just… I'm just a little surprised you were able to get these."

"It's no big deal. I just wanted to get you something that you would like. Do you?" He asked.

"Ash, I love them. I really like the bracelet, but, what does the heart at the top of the key mean?" She asked.

"Well, you know that it's a key right? But ironically, it's the key to my heart."

Serena gasped and her eyes widened a bit. "Really?"

"I know it may be cheesy, but, that's how I really feel about you. I don't know what kind of person I would be if you weren't here right now. It's just… you've changed me a bit since I first met you."

Serena was literally speechless. She couldn't think of one word to say. Everything Ash said had meaning. She knew it came from his heart. And she was beyond ecstatic. Tears were forming in her eyes. She then slammed into a hug with him, letting all the tears flow.

"Thank you." She said, sniffling. The tears that trickled down her cheeks stained onto Ash's shirt. Ash didn't really feel it, mainly because he didn't care. She was happy, and he couldn't care about anything else.

"Wait!" Serena exclaimed. "You haven't opened my gift to you yet."

Ash's eyes opened up. "Oh."

He picked up the gift and unwrapped it. It was a box just like his gift to her, but it was black instead of white. He opened it and saw what was inside: a silver case. He opened it and what it contained shocked him. Inside it was six Pokeballs, each one a different color: black, blue, green, etc. It was truly something.

"Wow, Serena, this is great. I love it!" He exclaimed.

"That's not all." She stated.

"What?"

"Look below the case." She responded, pointing down.

Ash took the case and placed it next to him on the coffee table. It was another box, but white. He took it and opened it. It happened to be a necklace with a locket on it. It was heart shaped.

"Wow, Serena, this is pretty cool. Thank you!"

"I wasn't sure if you would like something that was heart shaped, but I saw what it looked like and I thought you could do something with it."

Ash liked it, but there was one thing that caught his eye…

There was a keyhole in it.

He wondered. Why was there a keyhole on it? What did it do?

Wait! He suddenly thought of something.

"Hey, could you give your necklace to me for a moment?"

Serena gave the necklace to him and he took the key and put it into the hole. And wouldn't you know it, it opened.

"Well, what do you know? Your necklace actually unlocks mine." He said.

Serena giggled. "I guess now that literally it's the key to your heart."

Ash smiled. "Thanks for this. It really means a lot."

Serena smiled as well. "Right back at you."

They then kissed and embraced each other, their moms watching in happiness.

It truly was a Christmas to remember.

 **Author's note:** Aww. Look at their gifts. How adorable. Uh oh, am I getting too mushy? Oops. I shouldn't be doing that. Come on BigJ, man up! Now's not the time to show your feminine side. Anyway, This personally has to be one of my top three favorite chapters to this story. I liked how it progressed. It's nice that everyone got gifts to each other that meant a lot to them. Leave me your comments, but before doing that, read this preview.

Who knew that something like this would happen? Why is it that things like this happen often when they're outdoors?

Many more Arboks came towards them. Ash and Pikachu were on their own. Their training from their journeys would give them a good fighting chance, despite the odds.

Pikachu let a few more thunderbolts loose and hit some of the Arboks with a volt tackle. Multiple Arboks fainted but there were still numerous ones left. Ash and Pikachu were hopelessly outnumbered. They could defeat most of them but they needed some extra help to handle the rest. But there was no one else around to help them. What were they to do?

"Fennekin, use flamethrower."

Suddenly, a blast of flamethrower shot past Ash and Pikachu and collided into the Arbok, knocking out about five of them. Ash looked back at Serena.

"Thanks for showing up!" He shouted.

"Thank me later. Let's get these Arbok dealt with." She commanded.

With that being said, they each gave out orders to their Pokemon. Each attack either knocking out a few Arboks or dealing a lot of damage. After a devastating number of attacks shot out, the Arboks that were still standing, cowered away in retreat, valuing their lives and booking it out. Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Fennekin were heavily panting, having gone through a lot of work to get through those Arbok.

"Good job, Serena. You too, Pikachu."

"You two did a good job, and to you too, Fennekin."

"Pika."

"Fenne."

But then something started happening.

 **Author's note:** Whoa, what's going on? Yeah, yeah, I ended the preview with a bland line, but I didn't want to spoil anything. What is going on? Can you guys guess? If you want, leave your guess in your review. In the meantime, I'll chug a gallon of milk and try not to get sick. I'll see you in the next chapter, if I haven't vomited my guts out by then. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.**

 **-Forest Gump**


	8. Bottom of the Well

**TDBigJ's message:** Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! Oh wait, it's not Christmas. What the hell am I bringing that up for? Maybe the thought of the previous two chapters is still in my head. I've got to get it out if I want to write this chapter. How has your past seven days been? Your one hundred sixty eight hours? Why am I getting mathematical? Sorry, my mind is a little whack right now. I've got to get my mind straight this chapter. Don't want to mess up, do I? I've got to cut down on the Monsters and Kickstarts, I think the caffeine is going to my head. Ah, who cares? Some people like to drown their sorrows in drugs or alcohol, I prefer to drown mine in caffeine. That's right! I went there! I was called a very strange term this past weekend, and when I say it, you guys will probably be familiar with it, as it has been used to describe a certain character in Pokemon. My dad actually called me dense. Does that sound familiar? I guess that really is it. I've got to get to the part of the chapter that no one cares about: The responding of reviews. I am actually being sarcastic. I don't really know who cares and who doesn't about the review responding. I'm babbling again. I don't know if I'm going to make it through the chapter. But I'll try. Well, here you go.

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, that's what I mainly hear on the internet about the dub. I hear the subbed version has better dialogue and better music than the dub. I watched one earlier episode of XY and heard the music for a certain part and I admit the music for the sub was better than the dub. Her reaction was out of character? Wow! That's surprising! You did a gift giving chapter too? Awesome! I'm happy to know you think Ash is growing as a person. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #1):** We will probably see one new character within the next couple chapters. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** They had a good Christmas. That's good isn't it? I think the best MLB team, at least at this point, is either the Cubs or the Orioles. That is just my opinion. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #2):** No problem! I caught myself off guard there. I could have put them in the previous chapter. Thanks for pointing that out. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #3:** I guess either the last chapter was iffy or confused you. Sorry about that.

 **Klay (Guest #4):** I sure hope he does. I will put that into consideration. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #5):** I'm thinking I will be putting her in soon. No, she won't. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #6):** No, don't worry, they won't. Of course they love each other. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #7):** No, she won't. No, don't worry, he won't. Thanks for the review!

 **Mariners23 (Guest #8):** Yes, the Mariners do rule. But I hate the fact they're on a six game losing streak right now and they just got swept in a four game series. Seeing as by your name, you like Nelson Cruz? Yeah, I love boomstick (That's what I usually call him, hence his nickname)! Maybe, I'll think about it. I don't plan on splitting any of the couples up, don't you worry. No one will hurt them, I promise. I don't think he's that kind of character. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Oh man, I'm sorry that you didn't like the last chapter. But I see you had some points as to why you didn't. I guess I could have been more elaborate with each character's reactions and maybe have had included Red's Christmas and made him do what you mentioned in your review. Sorry again that the chapter was a disappointment to you and that it didn't feel like Christmas. But, thanks for the review!

 **Patriots87 (Guest #9):** That could happen, I would be fine with it. No, no one will tease them. Thanks for the review!

 **Rays3 (Guest #10):** What Pokemon do you want her to have? You can tell me if you want, I'm not picky. That could happen. That was an idea for a chapter. No, that won't happen, I'm not evil. What's going to happen next? Well, here you go. Thanks for the review!

 **Mixt Number XV:** Yeah, I know. It's nice at least in our stories he has a girl. It's about time he got one in the anime, although I don't know if that will happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Lions81 (Guest #11):** They could if you want. There really isn't a chance of that happening. Maybe, I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #12:** It makes me smile too to see them happy together. Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** You liked the chapter? That's a breath of fresh air. Glad you agree in was in your top three as well and that their presents had the most meaning. Sorry if it wasn't the presents you expected but thanks for liking my originality. The key and lock necklaces idea popped into my head and I thought it would be a good idea for their gifts. This chapter will take place a little after Christmas break. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Sorry about the mistake. But it's still good to know that some of my endings are funny. I like to give someone one good laugh in their day. Glad you liked the gifts of Pikachu to Buneary and Ash's and Serena's to one another. Are you right or wrong? You'll find out. Thanks for the review!

 **Astros1 (Guest #13):** I'll consider it. That probably won't happen. Her girlfriend is Dawn. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #14:** Maybe. I'll consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Pokemonmeat:** Man, it's been a while since I've seen you review. Good to see you doing it again. Glad you liked the chapter! I'll keep it up. Thanks for the review!

 **76ers (Guest #15):** Don't worry, she won't. I'm thinking about adding her soon. Thanks for the review!

 **Colts12 (Guest #16):** No, she won't. I'll consider it. It's not a bad idea. Maybe. That probably won't happen. No, they aren't. Don't worry. Probably the other way around. Probably not. Thanks for the review!

 **Eddy (Guest #17):** I'll consider it but I've got the rest of the chapters planned out. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

It was now January, and that meant that Christmas break is a thing of the past. School was back in session, much to the chagrin of almost every student. All of them got their school gear and got ready for the day, with groans coming from nearly every single one of them. But at least Christmas break was a blast, and they got some things to remember it by.

The alarm in Ash's room went off, and within a split second he pounded his fist down on it. He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. Pikachu slowly opened his eyes, his sleep interrupted by the loud blaring. Ash covered his mouth with his hand as he yawned. He pulled the covers off of him and slowly planted his feet on the floor, eyes half open. He had fallen asleep late last night and had gotten five to six hours of sleep but still felt tired. Usually when he got that much sleep he would be fine and dandy when morning came, but today was somehow an exception. Pikachu on the other hand, was all perked up and hopped down onto the floor by his trainer's feet.

Ash lazily got up off the bed and basically walked the pace of a zombie into the bathroom, and literally like a zombie. He looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were still half open but his hair was messy. Oh wait, his hair always looked like that.

Ash stroked his hair with his right hand for the heck of it. Since his hair always had been like this, there was no need to make it any different. Pikachu jumped up onto the top of the counter and looked at Ash. Ash really looked like in no state to do really anything, and that was unlike him. Why was Ash so groggy at this moment? Pikachu himself wondered that. He gave his trainer a closer look. Seeing as he should do something so Ash wouldn't feel like he's doing nothing but stare at him, took a black comb that was next to him and handed it to Ash. Ash showed a small smile but with his eyes still remaining the same way. He combed the spikes of his hair slowly, rubbing through each stroke with his other hand. Once he had combed through each spike, he mentally gave himself an "okay" and placed the comb down on the counter.

Pikachu was concerned. He had hardly seen Ash like this, it was a rarity. He thought there was a better chance of someone winning the Pokemon League with just a Magikarp than him being completely drained of energy for one whole day. Even through all the journeys they had been on Ash never once seemed like he wanted to do nothing for an entire day. Even during the school year he was never like this, just why was today the day he looked like he just wanted to spend the whole day in bed?

Ash then mumbled something. Since it was mumbling, Pikachu couldn't understand what he said. But it almost sounded like he was saying: "I'm going to get in the shower." And it seemed like that was it, as he went over to the shower and turned it on. Pikachu, knowing how this usually went, leaped off the counter and went back into Ash's room.

Ten minutes later Ash emerged from the bathroom, towel around the waist. Since he was still so drowsy, he didn't tie it tight enough around his waist and it almost fell off, but he was aware enough to catch it in time before "anything" was revealed. Pikachu was now really concerned. Was Ash going to make it through the day?

"Pika pi?" He asked.

"Yeah buddy, I am still pretty tired, but I'll manage. I've been through worse." He explained.

Pikachu then covered his eyes as Ash got into his day clothes. Once he was finished Ash told him it was okay to look again. Ash was without his hat but did he really need to wear it at this point? He didn't have to leave yet. Ash went into the bathroom to comb his hair (again) and brush his teeth. After a few minutes of doing those two things, he came back into his room, rubbing both his hands down his face. He sat down on his bed and put on his shoes and tied them, at least he had enough "oomph" to do that. When that was done, he left his room and went downstairs to have a little bit of breakfast.

He went into the kitchen and sat down in a chair, faceplanting onto the table. He didn't feel really anything because, well, do I need to explain it? Pikachu looked at him once again. Since his partner was very tired to do a thing, he went up onto the counter, opened the cupboard, took out a glass and went over to the fridge and opened the door. Since he was so small, it was pretty difficult, but he got it opened. He got the orange juice and barely managed to get the carton on the counter while he held it in his mouth. He opened the carton and poured the liquid into the glass. He then grabbed glass and jumped the "death drop" onto the floor, keeping the spilling to a minimum and walked over to Ash.

"Pika." Pikachu said, holding the glass up.

Ash looked down at him and smiled and took the glass. "Thanks buddy."

Pikachu smiled as Ash took a drink. Ash leaned back in his chair. "I really need the energy. I don't want to spend the whole day like this." Pikachu nodded his head, agreeing with his trainer.

"It's just weird though. Usually when I get that much sleep, I wake up without a struggle, just why am I feeling this now?" He said out loud. Pikachu didn't know if he was either talking to himself or if he was talking to him indirectly. But, it was a question that didn't really need to be answered. He got up onto the table and patted Ash's head. Ash looked up and patted his buddy's head in return. Delia came downstairs and noticed the state her son was in.

"Honey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine mom. Just tired."

"How come?"

"I may have gone to bed a little late last night."

"What time exactly?"

"About one, one thirty."

"Hm, interesting."

Delia was a reasonable mother. She didn't care when Ash went to bed, just as long as it was at a reasonable time. Most mothers would have their kids go to bed at a certain time, especially if they were still in school, but Delia was different.

"Look honey, going to bed at that time is fine with me, but seeing as you are still tired this morning, maybe just for tonight, you should go to bed a little bit early." Delia explained.

Ash was not one to complain. He didn't really like having a set bedtime but if it was just for one night, he guessed it would be okay.

"All right mom, if I have to, I have to." Ash responded.

"Like I said, just for tonight. Tomorrow night you can go to bed whenever. But if you wake up Wednesday morning drowsy once again, you may have to have a set bed time for a week." She explained.

Ash sighed. "I understand mom."

Delia smiled. "That's my boy." She rubbed his head and kissed him on the forehead. Due to the fact that he wasn't eating anything at the moment, she thought she would make him something.

Half an hour later, Ash left for school, still drowsy as hell. Ash's mom gave him some coffee to perk him up but it's effects had yet to kick in. Once those did, his day would be smooth sailing. Pikachu thought he would walk down on the ground this time just in case that if Ash stumbled and fell, he wouldn't fall off, and seeing as Ash was being beaten by Mister Sandman for the first time in history, that seemed likely.

"Man, I hope that coffee kicks in soon, otherwise, people will think I'm auditioning for a zombie slasher flick." Ash commented.

Serena came running up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, good morning!" Ash, with his eyes narrowly closed, shot open, only for them to go back down to half closed.

"Oh hey. Good morning!" He replied groggily. Serena was a little surprised at his state.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just still a little tired from last night."

"Hm. Did you go to bed late?"

"Yeah. My mom doesn't give me a bedtime, she's fine with me going to bed at any time, as long as it's reasonable." He explained.

"Well okay. Did you do anything that could give you a boost?" She asked.

"Yeah I drank some coffee but I've got to wait for the caffeine to kick in." He answered.

"I hope you get alert soon. I'd hate to see you like this because… I've never seen you like this before." She stated.

"I know. Most people would have felt this by now, but it's been ages since I've felt this way." Ash said.

She placed her hand back on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be able to get through this day. I know how strong you are."

He sighed. "That's easier said than done." He thought to himself.

Once school came around, it wasn't easy. Pretty much every class he felt the same he had been feeling since he got up this morning. Today had to have been one of the hardest days he ever endured. Sure, he's had harder days, like when he lost a gym battle or that time he tried to befriend Charizard. This one was nowhere near the hardest ones, obviously the Charizard time was, but luckily, that time was past.

It was twenty minutes into lunchtime, Ash was by himself by the apple tree. He wasn't in the mood for a big meal, since his drowsiness made his appetite weaken, but not by much. He had eaten about five apples and working on his sixth. Maybe something a little different wouldn't hurt.

Serena had been walking around looking for him. She hadn't seen him in the lunchroom and had been looking for him for the past fifteen minutes. When she saw him by the apple tree, she came over and sat down next to him.

"Hey, you still holding up?"

Ash took his left hand and rubbed his eyes with it. "Yeah, I guess I'm a little less tired than I was this morning, but I'm still pretty tired."

"Oh, well, that's good."

Even though he was tired, he really wanted to talk to someone. At least she was there to, but what could they talk about?

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" Serena asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, shoot." He responded.

"Seeing all your Pokemon at Oak's lab and the Pokemon you caught this past summer, I've seen that most of your Pokemon have evolved. I mean, I am just curious as to why none of mine have." She explained.

"You want your Pokemon to evolve?" He asked.

"Well, I mean, I like all three of my Pokemon because I think they're just adorable, but I also want them to be powerful and have confidence in themselves. I want just one of them to evolve, just one. But I haven't been able to have one of them do it."

Ash's train of thought was fast when it came to this subject, no matter what state he was in, so he thought he would shed some light on the matter.

"From how I've trained my Pokemon and seeing them evolve, it usually takes two things for a Pokemon to evolve: time and experience. It differs with every Pokemon, some evolve quicker than others. Most Pokemon take time, each of them differently. Almost all of my Pokemon that evolved took time and experience to do so. One of my Pokemon that evolved fairly quickly was my Staraptor. Staraptor was the first Pokemon I caught in Sinnoh when it was a Starly, and it evolved within two weeks. It evolved into a Staravia before I even had my first gym battle there. But with my other Pokemon that evolved, it was a while until they did after I caught them."

Wow! That was a lot of information to take in. Serena had little knowledge of Pokemon evolutions so it was good to know from Ash how it all happened. Hey, he wanted to be a Pokemon master in the future, so it was smart of him to know so much on that.

"Thanks for all that. I think I have better confidence that Fennekin, Pancham, or Eevee will evolve soon. I know it." Serena beamed. Ash liked to see her shining of confidence, that was one of the things that he liked about her so much. That made his drowsiness wear off a tiny bit. She pecked him on the cheek and hugged him. She then stood up and pulled him up with her. Ash nearly collided with her.

"Gee, Serena, have you been getting stronger?" Ash asked, chuckling.

"Maybe." She responded, giggling a bit. "Come on class is about to start again." After that she pulled him along. Ash was still low on energy, but he was starting to manage a little easier. Only a couple more periods and he was home free.

The rest of the school day flew by, luckily for Ash. He was still feeling tired. He left the school's front doors, Pikachu once again walking by his feet. He still didn't want to take any chances.

Five minutes after entering the forest, Ash was still walking at a sloppy pace. They had barely even gotten away from the entrance of the forest. Serena wasn't there with them at the moment as she had to do something quick after school and told him she would catch up. He just knew that once she met up with him, he would have to walk faster, which, unusually, he was not looking forward to.

Ash just wanted to get home, go up to his room, and fall asleep. He doubted anything would happen, but he could only think that. He realized that the coffee he drank this morning didn't perk him up at all.

"Dang! Mom must have given me decaf by accident." He thought to himself.

"You ready to take a nap once we get home?" Ash asked his buddy. Pikachu didn't mind the idea of taking a nap. He wasn't tired like Ash was, but did he really need to be? He too doubted that anything would happen on their way home…

But that was too soon to think.

Out of nowhere, a large amount of Arboks appeared. Ash, despite being tired, saw this and immediately felt a jolt go up his spine, causing his drowsiness to leave his system, now fully alert.

"Gee, didn't think I'd see this coming. Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"All right, use thunderbolt!"

Pikachu let loose a charge towards the Arboks. He hit one group that was close together and was able to shock all of them, taking them out. There were still many left but Ash and him were still able to fight.

Who knew that something like this would happen? Why is it that things like this happen often when they're outdoors?

Many more Arboks came towards them. Ash and Pikachu were on their own. Their training from their journeys would give them a good fighting chance, despite the odds.

Pikachu let a few more thunderbolts loose and hit some of the Arboks with a volt tackle. Multiple Arboks fainted but there were still numerous ones left. Ash and Pikachu were hopelessly outnumbered. They could defeat most of them but they needed some extra help to handle the rest. But there was no one else around to help them. What were they to do?

"Fennekin, use flamethrower."

Suddenly, a blast of flamethrower shot past Ash and Pikachu and collided into the Arbok, knocking out about five of them. Ash looked back at Serena.

"Thanks for showing up!" He shouted.

"Thank me later. Let's get these Arbok dealt with." She commanded.

With that being said, they each gave out orders to their Pokemon. Each attack either knocking out a few Arboks or dealing a lot of damage. After a devastating number of attacks shot out, the Arboks that were still standing, cowered away in retreat, valuing their lives and booking it out. Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Fennekin were heavily panting, having gone through a lot of work to get through those Arbok.

"Good job, Serena. You too, Pikachu."

"You two did a good job, and to you too, Fennekin."

"Pika."

"Fenne."

But then something started happening.

Fennekin started glowing.

Fennekin was evolving.

Ash and Serena suddenly got surprised expressions, Serena especially. She couldn't believe it, one of her Pokemon was evolving. A smile grew on her expression as Fennekin continued to evolve. After what seemed like twenty seconds, Fennekin was fully evolved, now into a Braixen.

"Brai."

Serena cuffed her cheeks and ran up to her newly evolved Pokemon and gave it a hug. She was so happy. It had finally happened. What a coincidence that was. Her and Ash were talking about Pokemon evolutions earlier and by lucky chance Fennekin evolved. What do you know?

"You've finally evolved!" She exclaimed.

Ash walked up to her and Braixen. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" She let go of Braixen. "It's good to see you're now fully awake."

"Yeah. I guess a battle kind of wakes me up."

"That's different. A battle gives you energy."

"On me, Pokemon battling has the same effects as coffee."

"That's strange. But it works for you and I'm not complaining." She remarked. "Come on, let's head home."

Once Ash got home, he went up to his room, but not to take a nap, he grabbed the remote on his nightstand and turned on his tv. His original plan was to take a nap, but after that encounter with the Arboks, he was fully awake, and felt no desire to take one.

"Man, it feels good to be full of energy again." Ash said to himself. Pikachu was happy as well, but since he just battled a lot of snakes, HE felt tired, and laid down and took a nap.

Ash looked at his phone and saw a picture message from Serena. It was of her Braixen. She decided to take a picture to show everyone that one of her Pokemon finally evolved. Ash was sure that all of their friends were going to go nuts over this.

Once night came, Ash got ready for bed. He turned off the light and got under the covers. Now it was time to sleep. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

But once he closed his eyes, he was feeling uncomfortable, plus, he didn't feel tired at all. He tossed and turned in his bed, trying to find the right position to sleep in, but couldn't find it. He then came to the conclusion…

"Damn! I can't sleep!" He said to himself.

And the night continued that way. He hoped that he would find some way to get some sleep, hoping tomorrow wouldn't be like today.

 **Author's note:** Well, what a strange turn of events that was. Didn't see that coming. Wait, that doesn't make sense. I'm the freaking writer for crying out loud! My own mind confuses even me. Now that's weird. You guys are probably like "What the hell is he saying?" I've really got to get my words straight, otherwise I would have to go through high school again. As I learn how to speak English again, here is the preview.

Meanwhile, Ash and Gary decided to walk back to Ash's house. They had spent enough time away for the day, and they thought they would spend the rest of the day back at the Ketchum residence, which Gary didn't mind.

"So Gary, how is the research career going for you?" Ash asked.

"Oh, it's great. Nothing new though." Gary answered.

"Anything this past summer?"

"Only a couple things, but other than that, not really."

"Why did you decide to become a researcher over a trainer anyway?" Ash asked.

Gary thought for a minute. "Hard to say. It was mainly to help Gramps out. Besides, being your rival was taking a toll on me."

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry, I've had numerous rivals after you that have kept me busy."

"I guess they have been doing me a favor then." Gary remarked. The two of them laughed afterwards. Ash didn't mind that comment, he had gotten a good sense as to what they meant as he got older. He knew how to take them as being serious and a joke at the same time.

"Some of them were my friends and rivals, some of them were just rivals. You were the latter when we traveled Kanto and Johto, but now you are the former. Funny how things turn out right?" Ash stated.

"Yeah. You aren't as whiny and impatient as you used to be. I got used to you after that." Gary said.

"I guess I was a little bit like that when I was ten. I'm glad I'm not like that anymore." Ash stated.

Ash then started to wonder something. "Hey Gary! Why did you decide to spend the day with me? Of all days?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wanted to hang out I guess."

The two approached Ash's front door. Ash turned the knob and opened it.

"Come on, there has got to be some reason."

When they walked in, Ash turned on the light, but then…

 **Author's note:** Um, I have no idea what is about to happen. *Slaps forehead* There I go again! I'm the *bleep* writer! Of course I know what is going to happen. But thing is, do you guys know? Well, think about it and see if you're right when the next chapter comes around. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **John, I look like something you give your kid when you tell them grandma died.**

 **-Ted, Ted**


	9. Runnin' Wild

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey guys, what are you up to? Hell, nothing new for me. Weeks been just as eventful as ever. I was being sarcastic. But hell, still had a good time. Sometimes doing the same thing never gets boring, at least for me that is. Week in week out I've just been playing Xbox, watching WWE, the same old, same old. Also I've been typing this chapter, that's another thing. I'm glad my Mariners are looking like they are starting to bounce back. Hearing one of my dogs bark and the other jump all over me, sometimes becomes too much. It's hard to believe that this story is already half over. Man, time flies. Now, I think I should get busy responding to the reviews.

 **Oliverqueen01:** As a matter of fact, I LOVE WWE! But unfortunately, I only got into it about a year ago, about last April, so I don't think I've seen that event. Luckily due to my curiosity, I've been watching a lot of WWE videos on youtube but not one of them was that specific moment, so I don't have a general idea, but I will look for it and see how it played out. Sweet! The Kalos League has started! Go get them Ash! Thanks for the review!

 **Pokemonmeat:** Sorry that the Amourshipping rate was low last chapter. I don't know why, I just couldn't seem to fit any in the last chapter. But glad you liked the chapter nonetheless. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #1):** If you want her to. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Me too. Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #2):** Yes, Ash. But Braixen, no, she doesn't. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #3):** Maybe they might, I'll consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Rays3 (Guest #4):** All right. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #5):** Don't worry, she won't. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #6):** I hope you like it. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #7):** It could happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Mariners23 (Guest #8):** I think I did. Maybe not, but I appreciate the suggestion. Of course they do. Thanks for the review!

 **Mariners34 (Guest #9):** Yeah, King Felix does rule! I was thinking about making that possible. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #10):** Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #11:** If you want him to. Well, you'll find out who was at the door. Thanks for the review!

 **Angels5 (Guest #12):** No, don't worry, I don't hate the Angels. The only team I really hate is the Yankees mainly because I'm also a Red Sox fan and that pretty much explains it. Currently none of them are in a relationship, except maybe the first one or two. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #13:** The crossover fic is progressing nicely. I'm almost done with the first few chapters. I will give you a release date later this month. Don't worry, it's not that much longer. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** You're right. That is a lot like a routine school day. You wouldn't believe how many times I felt that way when I was in school. In high school, I pretty much had to get up between 4:30-5:30 in the morning. It was hell. It wasn't like that every day though, but whenever it was, I hated it. I wished school started like at 11:30 in the morning or noon, and end at 1:00. I'm glad you liked the fact that one of Serena's Pokemon finally evolved. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you like I promised before *Man I suck*. Seeing if it's Ash's birthday, well, you'll find out won't you? I wish we got something like that in the anime. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** You might be right about this chapter. I won't be the one to tell you if you're right or wrong, I'm not a party pooper *Oops! I guess I kind of spoiled the chapter. Or did I? Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Yeah, I love that line from Ted. Great movie! I can understand your situation in the morning. I feel the same way. Every morning I still feel tired when my oldest brother wakes me up to turn on the shower for him *There's a reason why I do that*, and afterwards I go right back to bed. Tuesdays through Thursdays I have to get up prior to nine because he has to go to work and I have to lock the front door and I spend my whole morning until he gets home downstairs watching tv. I usually perk up after a while but I sometimes fall asleep again. Occasionally, I drink an energy drink to wake me up, it always makes my day. Glad you liked the chapter even the fact you thought it was different and weird, but it's good you liked that. Yeah, once again, sorry for the Christmas chapter. Thanks for liking my English skills. It's good to know somebody appreciates it. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

Ash woke up from a long nights sleep. He didn't feel drowsy, in case you were wondering. He stretched his arms out and scratched his hair. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. Light shined on the blinds and made his room have an orange aura, with plain streaks going where the blinds split. Ash got out of his bed and went downstairs first, which was new for him. When he reached the kitchen, his mom was standing there, appearing to be half awake, wearing her bathrobe.

"Morning mom. Have a good night's sleep?" He asked.

"Eh, it was a hit or miss." She answered. "You?"

"Great! Never better." He responded as he took a sip of coffee that he had just poured.

"Well, at least you did. I wish mine could have been a little better." Delia stated.

"Oh don't worry mom. One night isn't going to hurt."

"I wish I had the alertness to agree with you. Remember you had a bad night a little while ago?"

Ash didn't want to remember the day where he felt like a downer. That day was hell up until he got home after defeating all those Beedrill. But then that night was the exact opposite, but luckily he got sleep after what seemed like an hour of trying to get some shut eye in any way. Plus, he didn't feel drowsy the following morning, happy that he didn't have the same kind of day two days in a row. Now THAT was rare.

"I'd rather not think about it." He commented.

"Okay." She said. "You ready for today?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. I just want a normal day today."

"Really? Come on honey, you say that every year. Why wouldn't you want to celebrate this day however you want it?"

"It wouldn't matter to me. But today, I just want to live it like I normally do." He said as he took another swig of coffee.

"Well, for the meantime, why don't you go take a shower and get dressed and get ready for the day and from there we can do whatever you want." She stated.

"All right, I'll go do that." He gulped down the last of his coffee and ran off upstairs.

And with him now out of sight, Delia revealed her actual state. She took off her bathrobe, showing that she was really fully awake and appearing that she was already dressed. Once she heard the shower turn on, she whistled, and Serena came from behind the wall.

"Okay, you ready?" Delia asked. "Remember, this is your idea."

"I'm ready. We need to make this day memorable for him."

"But what about him asking for a normal day?"

"Sure he says that now, but when we surprise him, he'll be glad he got it differently."

"So what do we do first?" Delia asked.

"The first thing we have to do is to get someone to keep him away from the house long enough for us to get all the stuff set up." Serena answered.

"Like who?"

"I think I know the right person."

Serena then took out her phone and dialed her desired number and put the phone up to her ear.

Ash had finished preparing himself. Since he didn't plan on leaving the house yet, he just left his jacket off, just wearing his black t-shirt. He had already put his shoes on though. Some days when he was just sitting back and relaxing, this is usually how he would present himself. He went back downstairs. But as soon as they heard his footsteps, Delia told Serena to hide again so that Ash wouldn't see her and he would think they were up to something. Delia got her bathrobe back on and went back to pretending she was drowsy.

"Mom, you're still down here? Why don't you go get in the shower, get your day started?"

"I will in a few minutes but I've got something to do first." She answered.

"Well, if you need me, I'll be in the other room." Ash said and went into the other room to watch tv.

Delia, now seeing that Ash was downstairs, went to the other side of the wall that Serena was standing behind. They needed to do this someplace else so that Ash wouldn't catch them in the act or get suspicious. Since Ash suggested that she go take a shower, Delia thought they would go up to her room and plan everything out. Delia thought they could do it in Ash's room but immediately shoved that idea to the side, thinking that Ash at one point would come back up to his room to fetch something, so they would have to settle for her room. They went into her room and closed the door. Delia didn't even bother locking the door. She knew Ash was a smart kid. If he wanted to know something from her and the door was closed, he would knock first.

"So what next?" Delia asked.

"Now we've got to get all of his friends on board and have them come over and help us. Once they're over here, and everything is set up, when he walks in the door, we all jump out and, you know, the usual thing at surprise parties." Serena explained.

For the next ten minutes they planned the rest of the stuff out. Suddenly a knock was heard at the door. Quickly, Serena hid under the covers as Delia covered her with them, putting a few pillows over for good measure so Ash for sure would not know Serena was there. Delia went over and put her ear up to the door.

"Yes honey?"

"Before you open the door, are you all dressed?"

"Yes I am. Come on in."

And she opened the door, letting Ash walk in. Ash noticed the pile of pillows on his mom's bed, but decided that it was none of his business of why they were like that. She probably just threw them there when she woke up. No need to ask.

"So, what do you need?" Delia asked.

"Just wanted to come up and see if you needed anything. Do you?" Ash asked.

"Nope honey, I'm fine. I will let you know when I do, okay?"

"All right mom. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

After that he went back down the stairs, and when he was out of sight, Delia closed the door and went over to the bed to uncover Serena. Once Serena was completely uncovered, she took a big gasp of air.

"Oh man, it was hard to breathe under there." She commented.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. It wasn't like I was going to die or anything."

"Okay, now, what's next?"

Ash was watching tv downstairs, Pikachu right next to him. There was actually something on today, as a matter of fact, there was a lot, but he couldn't watch it all at once so he chose something and stuck with it. He was flipping through the guide looking at the other programs when all of a sudden, he heard the doorbell ring.

"Ash, could you answer that please?" Ash's mom shouted from upstairs.

Ash got up from his seat and went towards the front door. Once he opened it, he saw Gary.

"Oh, hello Gary, what brings you here?"

"Oh nothing really. Just thought I'd stop by, see if you were doing anything." Gary replied.

"Not really. Why?"

"I was just thinking if you wanted to go hang out today. You up for it?" Gary asked.

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, sure Gary. Since I don't have anything planned, I guess I could go out. Let me go get my shoes on and then we'll go." Ash explained.

"Sounds good. I'll wait here." Gary responded.

Ash went up to his room and got his shoes on and tied them. He got his jacket and cap and put them on. Once he was set, he went to his mom's room to tell her. Luckily, she had already made Serena get under the covers again when Ash came upstairs, so they were good for the moment.

"Hey, that was Gary. He wants to hang out with me today. Is that cool?" Ash asked.

"Not a problem, honey. Go right on ahead." Delia answered.

"All right, I'm heading out. See you a little later today." Ash called out as he ran down the stairs and out the door. Delia uncovered Serena once again, Serena having to catch her breath again from being nearly unable to since there was barely any oxygen under the comforter.

"Okay, Gary got Ash out of the house. We've got all the time in the world." Delia said.

"All right. Let's do this!" Serena exclaimed and they set their plan into motion.

Gary and Ash went over to Oak's lab so Ash to say hi. Ash realized that it's been a while when he and Gary had actually hung out. After their summers in Kanto and Johto, there were only a few instances where they spent time together, whether it was just the two of them or with other people. They had really gotten along since their days as rivals on summer journeys.

"So you sure you want to go to my grandpa's lab? I'm pretty sure there are other things we could do first. I mean, we could do other things afterward, but you want to do this to start off your day?" Gary asked.

"Seeing my Pokemon in the morning will probably make them happy. Since I'm at school all the time, they never really get to see me at the start of their day, even on the weekends." Ash explained.

"Yeah, I'm the same way. I never see mine during the mornings. I usually see them after school just like you. The only time I ever really get to see them all the time is during the summer." Gary explained.

"I just wish that I could see them every day, but with the schoolwork I have to catch up on a regular basis I can't. Only when I don't have homework is when I can see them."

"Well, just be happy you can see them today. I'm pretty sure they will be happy to see you today, based on what it is today." Gary stated.

"Yeah, I guess so." Ash said. "I just wonder what my mom is going to do while I'm gone. I feel bad that I'm spending the day away from her on this day. What will she do?"

"Oh I'm pretty sure she will find something." Gary said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 **Ketchum residence**

Serena hung up the phone after making a phone call to one of Ash's friends. She crossed the name off of her list. She was finally done after twenty minutes of calling.

"Okay, May's on board. That's everybody." She said to herself. "Okay, all of our friends said they would be here within an hour to help out. Let's get to setting up."

"All right. Now here comes the hard part. Is your mom coming over to help as well?" Delia asked.

"One step ahead of you."

Suddenly, the front door opened and in came Grace. She appeared to be ready.

"So, are we going to get this done or what?"

With those words being said, the three of them got to work. They had to get this right, they wouldn't want the surprise to be dull and mediocre, they wanted to be sure that when the Ash entered the house, that the surprise would make him faint bigger than a Pokemon ever could.

Ash was out back behind Oak's lab, with every single one of his Pokemon. Ash wished that he could for the heck of it train them a bit but he didn't come here for that. He just wanted to spend time with them. He was pretty sure they would want just that anyway. Besides, they knew what today was. Oak and Gary looked at Ash and his Pokemon from inside the lab.

"It's sure good to see Ash and all the Pokemon he trained just relaxing. Seeing them doing something other than training is a sight to see." Oak commented.

"I agree, Gramps. I remember Ashy boy when he was just a beginner. I never would have imagined him being like this at one point. But yet again, he's gotten older. Every human being changes as they age. I'm just glad he has. I'd hate to see him a whiny, immature kid his whole childhood." Gary explained.

"I'm glad you think so, Gary. But that last part got me a bit. Why would you think he would be whiny and immature? For as long as I've known Ash, he has never been like that"

"Well, you've never travelled two regions with him as your rival. I admit that he got a little better after a while." Gary explained.

"I'm glad you think so Gary. Ash, just like Pokemon, has evolved since he started as a trainer eight years ago. It's good that he isn't what you described him anymore." Oak stated.

"Well, Gramps, that's past. I've got to look at the present and future." Gary stated.

"Good way to look at that."

While they were talking, Ash had come up, already having putting his released Pokemon back into their Pokeballs.

"You ready to go Gary?"

Gary shuddered after hearing Ash's voice. "Oh yeah, let's go. Bye Gramps."

"See you two later." Oak said, waving goodbye to the two prodigies. As soon as Ash and Gary left the lab, Oak's smile grew a little wider.

"I'll be seeing you two later all right. Now I've got to get over to Ash's house immediately."

Within an hour, all of Ash's friends had showed up at his house to help Delia, Serena, and Grace set up. Everyone was in a frenzy to get the place to set up everything. But why were they worried? Ash was occupied enough. They just hoped that his arrival wouldn't be premature.

"Man, I hope Gary can keep Ash away long enough for us to get done and in position to surprise him." Dawn said.

"Hey, I have confidence everything will go fine. If anyone can keep Ash away for a long period of time, it's Gary." Brock said.

"Good job choosing him to do it. Considering the history between those two, I think you made the right choice." Misty commented.

"You guys can thank me later if Gary gets Ash here after we're done. Right now, just focus on setting up." Serena said, in a hurry to get everything done. She wanted this to be just right. This was the party of the most important person in the world to her. Well, other than her mother.

Gary had brought Ash to a park where a lot of people brought their Pokemon to enjoy the nice day out. It was a clear sunny day, so it really made it great.

"I'm surprised that this many people are out today with their Pokemon." Ash commented.

"Well, it's nice out. Did you really think they would do differently?" Gary asked.

"Nah, I guess not. I mean, I would do the same thing."

They looked at all the people and their Pokemon. Some people were just playing with them, like throwing a Frisbee or a ball. Some people actually brought out their Pokemon to train, whether it was like a coordinator, practicing the beauty of their moves, or just simply trying to make them more powerful whenever they had a battle in the future.

"I got to tell you Gary. Seeing all these people's Pokemon, man, it makes me wish I had caught a few of them on my journeys." Ash commented.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure every trainer has felt the same way at one point. When they see a Pokemon they really like but didn't have a chance to catch it when they travelled. Trust me, I've felt that way a few times. Many times I regretted it, but within some time, I got over it." Ash explained.

"I'm with you on that too Ash. When I was a trainer, there were some good and powerful looking Pokemon that I had my eye on but never got around to catching, and just like you, I regretted it at first but eventually got over it. It's like what they say: You can't always get what you want." Gary explained.

"That's true." Ash confirmed.

With that being said, there was something definitely to be learned. Even if there's one thing you want so bad but can't get, sometimes you have to face reality and find out that you may never get it. But there's no harm in trying to obtain it, just as long as it was in a reasonable way.

"I wonder what my mom is up to." Ash asked.

"Oh she's probably doing something. You know her." Gary answered.

"Yeah, I guess so. Even though she's a stay at home mom she always finds a way to keep herself busy." Ash stated. "Anyway, ready to go back to my house? I'm pretty sure I will find out what my mom is doing."

"Yeah sure. Let's head back." Gary replied and the two got up and left the park, remembering their little conversation.

Back at the house, everyone was getting the final parts of the party set up. It was just about perfect. And Ash wasn't home yet, which meant that they had good timing, plus, Gary had been doing his job of keeping Ash away from the house, so that was another plus.

Once the final decoration was set in place, Serena went to the back wall and made a square shape with her index fingers and thumbs.

"Yep. That should just about do it." She said to herself.

"Is that it?" Clemont asked.

"Yeah. Now we just wait for Ash and Gary to get back and then we'll surprise him."

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She took it out and looked at it. It was a message from Gary.

 _"_ _We're on our way back. Be there within ten minutes."_

Now that she saw that, she had to get everyone prepared to surprise Ash. She put her phone back in her pocket and faced forward to address everyone.

"Okay, Gary just texted me and said they would be here in ten minutes, so once we see Ash and Gary approach the house, hide somewhere and we'll surprise him once he walks in." She said to everyone. They all sat down and waited for the two to get back.

"Who will be on the lookout?" Serena asked.

"I'll do it." Max replied. He went to the front window and looked outside at the front, making sure he had a good view of Ash and Gary when they got near the house.

Meanwhile, Ash and Gary decided to walk back to Ash's house. They had spent enough time away for the day, and they thought they would spend the rest of the day back at the Ketchum residence, which Gary didn't mind.

"So Gary, how is the research career going for you?" Ash asked.

"Oh, it's great. Nothing new though." Gary answered.

"Anything this past summer?"

"Only a couple things, but other than that, not really."

"Why did you decide to become a researcher over a trainer anyway?" Ash asked.

Gary thought for a minute. "Hard to say. It was mainly to help Gramps out. Besides, being your rival was taking a toll on me."

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry, I've had numerous rivals after you that have kept me busy."

"I guess they have been doing me a favor then." Gary remarked. The two of them laughed afterwards. Ash didn't mind that comment, he had gotten a good sense as to what they meant as he got older. He knew how to take them as being serious and a joke at the same time.

"Some of them were my friends and rivals, some of them were just rivals. You were the latter when we traveled Kanto and Johto, but now you are the former. Funny how things turn out right?" Ash stated.

"Yeah. You aren't as whiny and impatient as you used to be. I got used to you after that." Gary said.

"I guess I was a little bit like that when I was ten. I'm glad I'm not like that anymore." Ash stated.

Ash then started to wonder something. "Hey Gary! Why did you decide to spend the day with me? Of all days?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wanted to hang out I guess."

The two approached Ash's front door. Ash turned the knob and opened it.

"Come on, there has got to be some reason."

When they walked in, Ash turned on the light, but then…

"SURPRISE!"

"AH!"

Due to the loud yelling from so many people, Ash freaked out for a second and stumbled backwards and fell. Feeling like he should lend a hand, Gary pulled Ash up after the shock.

"What's this?"

"It's a surprise party, silly." May remarked.

"But why?"

"It's your birthday. You got to celebrate it." Brock answered.

"Wow, geez, guys, I don't know what to say." Ash said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You don't need to say anything. We're just all here to wish you a happy 18th birthday." Misty stated.

Ash looked at Gary. "So that's why you were hanging out with me today."

"Hey, that doesn't mean that I didn't have a good time with you." Gary said.

Ash faced forward again. "Wow guys. Thanks. But you didn't have to do this."

"Don't mention it. But this was all Serena's idea." Shauna stated.

Ash now looked at Serena. "Really?"

She nodded her head. "Well, I can't take all the credit. Your mom was in on it too."

Delia walked up, holding a cake in her hands. "Yeah, but it was mainly Serena's idea." She held up the cake higher. "Come on, honey, make a wish." Ash blew out all eighteen candles that were on the cake, everyone clapping afterwards.

"So what did you wish for?" Bonnie asked, being the curious little girl she is.

"I didn't wish for anything." Ash answered, leaving everyone perplexed.

"I already got what I wanted. All the most important people in my life threw me a birthday party."

Now that left a smile on everyone's faces. He went up to Serena and kissed her, telling her she was a gift alone, making everyone "aw" and thanked her for throwing the party for him. He went up to his mom and hugged her, thanking her as well for throwing the party. After that, the party commenced, and Ash's 18th birthday had to have been the best one he had.

Yep. It certainly was.

 **Author's note:** Well how about that? I didn't know Ash was already 18. I'm just playing around. I know in the anime he is still 10 which confuses me. Why is he still 10? Why? Come on writers of Pokemon, ANSWER ME! You too Satoshi Tajiri! Why? I know they won't answer me, they don't know me. Looks like I'll have to live with it. While I write an angry letter to Pokemon, here's the preview.

"Come on, Red, do another one." Barry pleaded.

"I don't know if I should. I've already drank six." Red replied.

"Seriously Red, we'd all love to see you do another one. You are the gutsiest one out of all of us." Gary said.

"Well…"

"ONE MORE! ONE MORE! ONE MORE! ONE MORE!" All the guys chanted, seriously wanting Red to be the badass that he is.

"You know what? I'll do it! Hit me!" Red commanded and Clemont tossed another can of cola to Red, who opened it.

"Bottoms up!" Red exclaimed and bent his head back and put the can up to his lips and started gulping down the sugar and caffeine laden beverage. The guys all chanted "CHUG" as he drained the can. Within thirty seconds, Red had drank all the cola, crushed the can on his forehead, and screamed in victory, the guys cheering like guys ever could.

"You truly are bold, Red." Brock commented.

"Now, Clemont, it's your turn." Red stated.

"Wait, what?" Clemont asked, confused.

"Come on, Clemont, grow some balls. What will Shauna think of you if you don't?" Cilan asked.

"Shauna thinks what?"

"Uh, not important. Come on, dude, do it." Cilan took a can and tossed it to Clemont.

"Um, okay. Here goes nothing." Clemont said and opened the can and started chugging it. The guys did the same thing as with Red, chanted "chug" as Clemont drank the contents of the can. Once he was finished, he smiled and raised the can above his head.

"Now that's what I call cool, Clemont way to go!" Ash shouted.

"Yeah, that's right, I did it! Come on, give me-"

But within a second, due to the caffeine from two cans he had drank before, Clemont began to feel drowsy, and fell face first into the floor, passed out from a caffeine crash. The guys were surprised at first, then cheered, Clemont having proven something.

"Gee, I wonder what the girls are up to." Brock wondered.

 **Author's note:** *Crumples up another piece of paper after another crappy rant and throws it* I can't really come up with anything good to say to the heads of Pokemon. Oh well, I'll think of something, although I'll have to write it in Japanese which will be freaking hard because I don't speak or write it fluently. I can't write it in English, who knows if they understand it? With the chapter, seems interesting. What are the guys up to? What are the girls up to? You guys will find out in a week, because I already know. *Slaps forehead* Don't be an ass BigJ. You guys will find out soon, see what crazy events happen in the next chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **Nice potty mouth dirtbag!**

 **-Austin Powers, Austin Powers in Goldmember**


	10. It Ain't Over Till It's Over

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey, hey, hey, what's shakin' bacon? Ah, don't want to be stupid. I haven't said that since high school. I actually don't remember when the last time I said that, but it's not important. For you Americans, how was your fourth of July? For the rest of you, how was your week? Mine actually hasn't been as uneventful as they usually are. I actually met up with one of my former high school teachers at a friend's house this past Sunday. She offered me a job at the beginning of September if it pulls through. I hope it pulls through. Her son was one of my friends in high school, and I met up with his little sister. She also likes Pokemon and anime. She actually drew me an anime character and she's really good! I'll to put it up as my profile picture so you guys can see it. Only five chapters left after this one. Now I'm finished with my banter. Let's get to the responding of the reviews.

 **Klay (Guest #1):** You'll find out. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Maybe. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #2):** Oh boy, if you want to see what they do, read on and find out. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #3):** It was planned. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Edge is your favorite of all time? That's a very good pick. I never watched Edge because, you know why. But picking Edge as your favorite because he represents your hometown is a smart choice. But seeing as where Edge is from, you're from Canada? Correct me if I'm wrong. I've always wanted to go there. There was an amourshipping moment at the beginning of the league? Interesting. Yeah, Serena and Delia were pros at keeping everything a secret from Ash. Don't worry, Clemont is all right. I hope you like this chapter, because it's a little more unusual than my other chapters. It's okay if you don't. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #4):** I'll consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Pelicans23 (Guest #5):** Don't worry, both couples love each other and none of them will split up. Thanks for the review!

 **Pokemonmeat:** Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #6):** I have an idea of how she will get him. Thanks for the review!

 **Jagaurs5 (Guest #7):** Well, this chapter is going to focus mainly on the guys night. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Good job! You were right. Actually, I originally planned for Brock to keep Ash away from the house but I felt like I've already used him to occupy Ash's time in both stories so far and so I thought Gary would have been a better choice, also because we haven't seen him much. The guys night this chapter is going to be a little weird just to warn you, but guys nights are always weird so what's new? What way would you recommend me watching the english sub version of the anime? Could you suggest something? Only if you want. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #8:** The crossover fic is coming along nicely. Thanks for thinking it was a good Amourshipping chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Yeah, I honestly don't know why Ash is still 10. There have been more than 920 episodes in the anime and there are 365 days in a year. Come on, the math doesn't add up. Glad you liked the chapter and thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #9):** Don't worry, they will. Thanks for the review!

 **Golden Tiger (Guest #10):** Glad you liked the chapter and looking forward to this one. Yeah, you would understand after my rant a few lines above. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Don't worry man, better late than never right? I understand that you have to get your chapter done. No worries. You think the previews interesting? Well wait until you read this chapter. I remember you saying a couple chapters ago that you like weird and different and this chapter is kind of like that. Clemont passing out after three cokes definitely consider him a lightweight. LOL. I hope you like this chapter. A little warning, Red is pretty crazy in this one. Thanks for the review!

 **Yankees2 (Guest #11):** No, don't worry, they won't do that. I'm not quite sure. Yes! I am definitely and Eagles fan. Been one since 2005. Yes, they love each other. Thanks for the review!

 **Titans8 (Guest #12):** I guess, but it's not the amount of reviews I get that are important to me but it's the feedback. I'm not one to relish in the amount of reviews I get, but I'm glad you asked that question. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

In the texting conversation, Serena's lines will be in **bold** while Ash's will be in _italics_.

School was only a few minutes away from ending. A few more minutes and it would be the weekend. The weekend, the one time of the week that most kids waited for, because, does there really need to be an explanation?

Almost every student was looking at the clock, watching it as the time ticked down. Even though they were looking at it, they wondered what was taking so long. The teachers were looking at the students and wondering why the hell they were looking at it all the time, whether it was waiting for the period to end or like it was at this time, waiting for school to end. The teachers knew that most of the kids didn't like school, but what could they do?

Finally, ten seconds were left. Each student counted each time the red hand of the clock moved. Finally when it reached the last one it stopped. The students were confused. It seemed to take years for it to move again. Something must have happened. Either father time made it stop so they could suffer or the janitor must accidentally ripped a cord and made all the clocks in the school stop in it's position. But then, it changed and the bell rung and all the students blew the classroom doors open like they were some human battering rams. Some just solemnly walked out, not as energetic as some others.

Ash had to go by his locker to pick something up, Serena being there with him. Ash thought he would ask her something that had been on his mind.

"Hey, you want to do something tonight?"

"Nah, the girls and I are going to have a girls night. It was Aria's idea."

"Oh, okay. Just wanted to know." Ash said, a little saddened that they wouldn't be together tonight.

"I mean, just for tonight. Tomorrow we can do anything we want, okay?" She suggested.

"All right. That seems fine." Ash answered, cheering up a little.

"If it's all right with you, just so I can see you happy a little bit, I can spend the night at your place tonight, would you be okay with that?"

Ash nodded his head. "Yeah sure." He responded, smiling a little bit.

"Come on, I want to see a smile on that face." She said, grabbing his cheeks and slightly shaking his head. "Turn that frown upside down."

"Well, let go of my cheeks and you can see it." Ash said, his voice a little sloppy due to her having a grip on his cheeks. Serena giggled and let go of his chin. Ash slowly formed a smile on his face, just to show her he was happy.

"Now that's what I like to see." She said and planted a kiss on his lips. "Besides, I'd rather kiss a smile than a frown."

Ash chuckled at her choice of words. He shut his locker and they made their way home.

Once Ash got home he went and laid back on his bed. Pikachu had a long day and thought he would catch some shut eye. Ash took off his hat and looked up at the ceiling. He thought about Serena not being with him tonight. Well, she would be with him at the end of the night but not up until that point. It was a rare situation that she would hang out with someone other than him for a night out, but Ash wanted her to have her time with her female friends. He wasn't one of those guys that wanted his girlfriend to occupy all his time, he wasn't that kind of person. He let her do her own thing and she let him do his. The way she cheered him up after telling him about tonight was one of the things he loved about her. Whenever he was down, she would try to lift his spirits. She knew that he was sad whenever she went off to do her own thing, but liked to make him happy afterwards just so he wouldn't be bummed. He knew she was the one for him. She made him such a better person when they together, and he was glad she did. He was really admitting that. He closed his eyes and took a short nap.

About half an hour later, he woke up. He stretched his arms out and yawned. He looked to his left and saw Pikachu was still sleeping. The day must have been hard on him. He then heard a knock at the front door. He went down to answer it. When he opened it, Red and all his guy friends were standing there. Cameron, Barry, Brock, Gary to name a few.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He asked.

"You want to hang out with us tonight?" Red asked.

"Really? Why?" Ash asked.

"Since the girls are having a girls night, we thought we would have a guys night. You in?" Gary explained.

"Sure, but I have to check with my mom first."

"It's okay with me honey. Go be one of the guys." Delia said from a few feet behind him, catching him by surprise.

"Are you sure, mom?" Ash asked.

"Not a problem. Go and have a good time."

Ash turned back to the guys. "All right. Let's go!"

All the guys cheered. Ash went upstairs and grabbed his hat. He asked Pikachu if he wanted to go but Pikachu shook his head and wanted to stay home and have a nice long nap. Ash stroked his buddy's head and went downstairs and out the door and the guys went to Red's house, where the night would start.

An hour later, the guys were having a caffeine drinking contest. Right now they were doing cans of cola. Each guy had drank at least two cans of cola by now, but a few had drank four or more already. The guys were wanting Red to do another one, but he was a little reluctant.

"Come on, Red, do another one." Barry pleaded.

"I don't know if I should. I've already drank six." Red replied.

"Seriously Red, we'd all love to see you do another one. You are the gutsiest one out of all of us." Gary said.

"Well…"

"ONE MORE! ONE MORE! ONE MORE! ONE MORE!" All the guys chanted, seriously wanting Red to be the badass that he is.

"You know what? I'll do it! Hit me!" Red commanded and Clemont tossed another can of cola to Red, who opened it.

"Bottoms up!" Red exclaimed and bent his head back and put the can up to his lips and started gulping down the sugar and caffeine laden beverage. The guys all chanted "CHUG" as he drained the can. Within thirty seconds, Red had drank all the cola, crushed the can on his forehead, and screamed in victory, the guys cheering like guys ever could.

"You truly are bold, Red." Brock commented.

"Now, Clemont, it's your turn." Red stated.

"Wait, what?" Clemont asked, confused.

"Come on, Clemont, grow some balls. What will Shauna think of you if you don't?" Cilan asked.

"Shauna thinks what?"

"Uh, not important. Come on, dude, do it." Cilan took a can and tossed it to Clemont.

"Um, okay. Here goes nothing." Clemont said and opened the can and started chugging it. The guys did the same thing as with Red, chanted "chug" as Clemont drank the contents of the can. Once he was finished, he smiled and raised the can above his head.

"Now that's what I call cool, Clemont way to go!" Ash shouted.

"Yeah, that's right, I did it! Come on, give me-"

But within a second, due to the caffeine from two cans he had drank before, Clemont began to feel drowsy, and fell face first into the floor, passed out from a caffeine crash. The guys were surprised at first, then cheered, Clemont having proven something.

"Gee, I wonder what the girls are up to." Brock wondered.

Meanwhile with the girls, they were all doing the usual mall stuff. Serena at the moment decided to take a break. She went and sat down on the bench. She took out her phone and texted Ash.

 **"** **You doing okay?"**

 _"_ _I'm great! Having the time of my life!"_

 **"** **What are you doing?"**

 _"_ _The guys and I are having a guys night."_

 **"** **Oh really? Sounds like you are having fun. What are you doing right now?"**

 _"_ _You know, guy stuff. What about you?"_

 **"** **You know, girl stuff. I'm doing all right. Could be better. You have a good time. I'll see you tonight. I miss you."**

 _"_ _I miss you too. See you tonight."_

She put her phone back in her pocket. Dawn and Lucy came up to her.

"What are you doing sitting there? You've got to come see this. You'll love it!" Dawn exclaimed.

"All right, I'm coming." Serena said and got up, but as soon as she stood up, Dawn and Lucy grabbed her by the arms and tugged her away.

Back with the guys, things were only getting rowdier. They had now moved on to energy drinks. Clemont was still passed out on the floor but the guys thought he would regain consciousness any minute now and thought he would catch up with what they were doing when he did.

"Okay, okay. First one to drink their whole energy drink wins it." Brock stated. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Shouted Red, Barry, and Gary.

"Remember, anything goes, just as long as you finish your can first, no matter what it takes. Ready? Go!"

The three of them started drinking down their can of buzz. When it reached the halfway point, Red punched Gary and Barry in their stomachs, each of them spitting out what liquid was in their mouths and coughing afterwards, and finally finishing up ten seconds later.

"Ha!" Red chanted, pointing at Gary and Barry. "You two drink caffeine like a couple of little girls."

"Thanks Red. I'm almost unable to breathe." Barry stated.

"Yeah, almost." Red said.

"What should we do next." Clemont asked.

"Clemont, how'd you get up? When did you regain consciousness?" Stephan asked.

"Caffeine crashes only have a temporary effect on me." Clemont answered.

Red picked up a can of energy drink and attempted to open it.

"Don't!" Gary said, halting the motion of Red's hand.

"Just follow me and you'll find out what we can do next." Red stated and ran out of the room and then the house, the rest of the guys following suit.

The guys were now apparently at some random house. No one but Red knew whose it was, but they were about to find out.

"Okay, wait until Cameron rings the doorbell and when he comes out, throw them at him." Red explained. "Okay, Cameron, do it!"

Cameron rang the doorbell and ran to his spot in the bushes. "Oh man this is going to be great."

"Ssh, keep quiet. We can't alert him that we're here." Morrison said.

About five seconds later, the door opened, revealing their science teacher, Mr. Price. He walked out to the porch, looking around for the door ringer.

"Hello? Anybody there? Hm, must have been some delinquents playing ding dong ditch or something."

"And… NOW!" Red said, and everyone threw their eggs at Mr. Price. Mr. Price then got pelted by numerous eggs, so many eggs that he couldn't see.

"Come on, let's get out of here before he regains his eyesight." Red commanded and all the guys got out of their hiding spots and ran off in the same direction. Luckily, Mr. Price didn't see them so they got off scotch free.

"Principal Barber, is this because I didn't return your golf clubs a few weeks ago?" Mr. Price called out and then walked back into his house.

"Here's what we're doing next. I found an old abandoned house and since nobody lives there, I thought we'd damage it up a bit more." Red explained.

"How many more reckless activities do you have planned Red?" Brock asked.

"I'll answer that later. Now everyone go find something to throw."

For the next five minutes, the guys went to find something that could either put a dent in the wood or break a window. Once they found something, Red ordered them to chuck it at the house. When they did, many loud thumps on wood and sounds of glass shattering emitted.

"Come on, guys, keep throwing." Red commanded.

"Gee, having Red run a guys night is a lot of work. I wonder how he comes up with all of this." Ash said.

"Ash, this is Red we're talking about. Anything other than this would make him normal, or abnormal. I can't tell which. I don't know what Red could be." Cilan stated, and he threw a stone the size of his fist at the house, which went through the front door.

After a few more items were thrown at the house, the guys thought they should amp it up a little and throw bigger things at it, but Red had other ideas.

"Hey, let's cause a little damage from the inside." Red suggested and he went inside the house from the door that Cilan just damaged. The guys, thinking this wouldn't cause any harm, went inside with him. He had already tipped over a couch that was left standing. Each guy went to a different part of the house and started damaging something. Red just tipped and broke furniture, Gary kicked doors in, Barry somehow found a sledgehammer and started smashing every ceramic item in the house, mainly toilets, and Brock threw down pictures of a couple. But Ash on the other hand, was starting to get some clues when he picked up a framed picture that Brock just smashed. The picture didn't look that old, maybe a year or two old, and the toilets that Barry unfortunately decimated looked like they had just been replaced, and there were still plates left in the kitchen cabinets. No one would have left those in a house they were going to abandon. Red took a look at Ash and took concern.

"Hey Ash, what's wrong?" He asked.

"I have a strange feeling this house isn't as abandoned as we thought." Ash replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Red asked, raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly, a voice bellowed from upstairs.

"Hey, who's causing all that ruckus?"

"That!" Ash said and he bolted out of the house with the other guys rushing for their lives right behind him. Fortunately for them, they got away from the house before they were spotted. The old man apparently didn't get downstairs until they were out of sight. But for him, he saw a lot of his possessions damaged or broken, leaving him pissed, but at the same time, confused.

"Looks like I got to call the insurance agency in the morning." He said to himself.

He looked around more at the damage. "Maybe I should update the outside of the house as well, therefore this wouldn't happen every other week."

They guys ran for a good two minutes before they reached a spot that was nowhere within two hundred yards of the house and looked back, just to make sure that they didn't catch any glimpse of the old man chasing after them. Even if he was, they would get away anyway, due to their youth and high endurance.

"That was too close." Clemont said, huffing and puffing as he finally caught up to the group.

"Maybe I should have double checked if that house was really abandoned. Sorry about that guys." Red apologized.

"Eh, it's okay Red. It's not like we didn't have fun anyway." Cameron stated.

"We got to be more careful with whatever we do, make sure we don't get in trouble with the law or anything." Ash explained.

"Agreed." Brock responded.

"So, what now?" Morrison asked.

The guys had been standing there for a good five minutes. Seeing as Red didn't have anything else planned, they had been deciding what to do next, mainly because they weren't really done with the night.

"Heck, I can't decide what else to do. I've already used up what I came up with." Red said.

"Think we should call it a night?" Ritchie asked.

"Only if they girls are done with theirs." Red replied.

"I'll text Lucy. See if they're still together or gone home." Brock said and he took out his phone and texted Lucy.

"If they're not done, what else could we do?" Stephan asked. "I really don't want this night to end."

"Guys got anything?" Red asked.

"We could do a panty raid." Barry suggested.

"Whoa, Barry, I wouldn't go that far." Red replied.

"How about we moon the principal?" Morrison asked.

"Nah, he'd expel us if he saw us."

"Okay, how about the vice principal?"

"We're not mooning any of the high power in our school." Red stated.

"Well, should we just call it a night then?" Ash asked.

"Actually, Lucy just texted me back. They're all still together." Brock said.

"Okay, I guess the nights still going." Cilan stated.

"Wait! I've got it! Follow me!" Red exclaimed and ran off with all the guys following close behind him.

They eventually got to where Red had planned to go: the school. Red told all the guys to wait there while he went to the bathroom. They had no idea what he was up to but they were soon going to find out. Tonight just so happened to be teacher conference night so they were all in the commons discussing future plans.

"What do you think he's up to?" Cameron asked.

"Beats the hell out of me." Clemont remarked.

"Knowing Red, it's probably out of the ordinary." Ritchie stated.

"I just hope that it isn't too crazy." Ash said.

Within a few seconds, Red had come up from behind them, when they turned around, they were shocked. Red was in nothing but his boxers and had all his clothes in his hands.

"Yep! It's definitely going to be crazy." Ash remarked.

"Red, what are you going to be doing?" Cilan asked.

"Oh you guys will find out." Red said mischievously. He handed his clothes to Barry, who immediately dropped them on the ground because he didn't want to be holding another man's day clothes if he was wearing nothing else. Red took a ski mask and put it on.

"Why are you putting a ski mask on?" Brock asked.

"So that way the teachers have no idea it's me." Red answered and went up to the front doors of the commons. "You guys ready to shoot?" All the guys gave an uncomfortable moan as a response. "All right, here I GO!

And with that, Red charged into the commons like the maniac he was and ran in front of all the teachers who were sitting down. He screamed while he dashed around, shocking all the teachers in attendance. The principal, who just so happened to be there, ordered all the teachers to get up and try and catch Red which they did and gave chase. Fortunately for Red, he was way faster than the teachers and was at least twenty feet ahead of them. He went out the front doors of the school and seeing as they didn't want to be caught, the guys ran behind him, hoping the teachers didn't recognize them and they'd be in deep trouble when they came to school Monday morning. They ran and ran trying to catch up to Red, who seemed to have been running faster than an Arcanine. The teachers were a little behind them but luckily it was dark out so the teachers didn't have a clue as to who they were chasing. Luckily the guys had good stamina and easily outran the teachers. The teachers, running out of breath and pretty much lacking behind, gave up and stopped. The guys caught a break. This was a close call, but it was an awesome one nonetheless. They reached the edge of the forest and stopped to catch their breath themselves.

"Red, hot damn, you're a maniac!" Gary shouted.

"Hey, we got away didn't we?" Red asked.

"Yeah, but it was too close. That needs to be a once in a while thing." Stephan stated.

"I just got a text from Lucy. She and the girls have already started heading home." Brock said.

"All right, guys, let's call it a night." Ash suggested.

"Yeah, I should get home. I'm getting pretty tired. Besides, it's almost midnight." Gary said, and he went his own way back home.

After that the other guys went their separate ways back to their respective houses. As Ash started making his way back to his home, he wondered how Pikachu had been. Pikachu was tired after school and was okay with Ash going on this guys night without him. He really wanted to go on this guys night with Ash but he thought a well deserved nap was more necessary, plus, when he heard that Red was in charge of this guys night, he thought he'd better stay home than do something Red would come up with, and when it came to Ash's mind, he thought Pikachu had made the right decision. Ash thought that when he got home, he would fall down on his bed and get a good night's sleep, because this had been a long night, one heck of one too.

When Ash got within a few minutes of his house, he reminisced what had occurred tonight. It wasn't a night that he would usually do. What Red had done tonight seemed out of the ordinary and Ash normally and really wouldn't do what Red had the rest of the guys do, but he didn't want to feel left out and be a buzzkill so he just followed suit. He was pretty sure the rest of the guys didn't want to do such things like that either but the night would have been boring for Red if he did everything by himself, so the guys did it anyway, but he wasn't saying he didn't have fun time.

Once he reached his house, he went directly upstairs and into his room. His mom wasn't downstairs and the lights were off as well so he must have assumed that she went to bed. His mom went to bed earlier than he did. When he entered his room Pikachu was still sleeping on his bed but awoke when Ash came in, so he raised his head. Ash smiled, eyes half open and pet his buddy's head and then fell onto the bed with a faceplant. With that, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Fifteen minutes later, Ash was immediately awakened from his sleep. Someone must have jarred him out of his slumber. When he opened his eyes, he saw Serena standing in front of him.

"Hey, you awake?" She asked.

"I am now. Just get back?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to see if you got back okay."

Ash lifted his head up and rubbed his eyes. "Your night go okay?"

"Eh, it was fine. Just a typical girls night. How was your guys night?"

"Wild, and I mean it."

"Yeah, I could tell."

"Why is that?"

"Well one, you look tired, and two, someone posted a video of Red running through the teachers conference in nothing but his underwear." Serena explained.

"And a ski mask." Ash added.

"And that. I'm surprised Red did something like that."

"Are you really?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, not really." Serena answered. "By the way, could I spend the night here tonight?" I already asked my mom and it was okay with her."

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine with it."

Serena went and turned the light off and went over to Ash's bed and made sure she slept right behind him, but don't get any wrong ideas. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and laid her head behind his and drifted off to sleep. The night had taken a toll on both of them, and they needed the sleep.

They had one heck of a night, now they needed to sleep it off.

 **Author's note:** Well, that was certainly a different chapter. It was funny but it was different for this kind of story. This will pretty much be the only humor based chapter for this story you guys will get. This story was either normal, action, and/or drama based up to this point. I thought I'd give you guys one abnormal chapter but to keep with the main genres of the story this will be the only one you guys will see for the remainder of the story. But I'm not saying there won't be any humor here on out, don't worry, there will be more, just not to the extent of this chapter. I don't want you guys to think I'm trying to turn this into a romantic comedy or something, I don't want that. There has to be a specific way to perfectly execute something like that. I want to keep this story the mostly sane way it is. Wow! I actually made it through an author's note being perfectly normal, all the while talking about something abnormal and trying to keep it normal… damn! I guess it wasn't normal. Ah well, there will be many more opportunities in the future. If you want to talk about the future, here is something that will happen at that time.

Ash and the guys all put their stuff in the room they were going to be staying in for the next week and a half. With that guys night they had not too long ago, this one was to surely beat it.

"Aw man, I can't wait to get this vacation started. I'm so hyped up!" Cameron cheered, pumped up for the days ahead.

"Man, he's been saying that the whole ride over here." Gary said to Ritchie.

"Hey, give the man a break. He's just as excited as we all are." Ritchie stated.

"When you've got ten days to do whatever the hell you want with no parents around, why wouldn't you be excited?" Brock explained.

"Just imagine Brock, if you weren't with Lucy right now, I'm pretty sure you'd be flirting with every girl here." Cilan stated.

"Yeah. But that was my past. Lucy is the only girl for me. But you're right, I would try to get at least one girl if I wasn't in a relationship right now." Brock said.

"Oh man, I miss those days." Ash stated.

"You don't, do you?" Brock asked.

"Not really." Ash responded.

"I'm pretty sure for those of us in a relationship, that you're going to spend most of your spring break with them." Clemont stated.

"When are you going to get with Shauna? She's been dropping a lot of hints lately." Tierno asked.

"What hints?" Clemont asked. All the guys facepalmed. Clemont was as dense as Ash was before he got with Serena.

"Come on guys, let's get all our stuff unpacked and go meet up with the girls, they're probably waiting on us." Morrison stated.

"They're probably just as busy as we are at the moment." Stephan said.

"Man, this is going to be one hell of a break." Cameron exclaimed once again. There was no stopping his enthusiasm. A lot of teens looked forward to a time like this in their school years. They were sure going to make the best of this. This was their last chance, if they didn't do this now, there would be no more opportunities. They had to make this count, that's for sure.

 **Author's note:** Well look what's next. Seems like everybody is going on spring break. That's what the next two, TWO chapters are going to be. What will they get up to? Will anything romantic or dramatic happen? Anything humorous? Anything at all? Well, you'll see what I have come up with in a week. I have something planned. I'll see you in seven short days. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **YOU'RE GONNA DIE CLOWN!**

 **-Happy Gilmore**


	11. Raise the Flag

**TDBigJ's message:** *Talking to myself* I wonder what's with all this hype? I mean, I know it's new, but it seems like it's successful already, that's good- oh wait! I'm talking to myself am I? Sorry about that. I was just thinking about the newest thing in Pokemon that seems to be all over the news right now: Pokemon GO. I've heard some of the things about it are good, but there have been a few downsides. I might try it out. Anyway, it's good to see you guys again. That week seemed to have taken ages to pass by. Okay, not really. My week passes by fairly quick. Uneventful as usual but am I really complaining? Video games and fanfiction are basically my life right now, and I am perfectly fine with it. But yeah, I do want to start becoming independent so I got to start working on that. For some reason the way my dad pronounces Pokemon is "Pokeman". I don't get that. Why? From what happened in the last chapter, I think that had to have been one of my best chapters to date. The previous chapter got some good reviews because of the humor. I would love to do more chapters like that but I've got to stick to the main genres like I've said before. And in case you didn't know, this Saturday's episode is the English dub version of episode 22. Ooh, I'm excited for it! *Shoulder angel taps my shoulder* Oh yeah, I've got to get to the responding of reviews now.

 **Bryce (Guest #1):** Glad you thought it was funny! Everyone will be included on this spring break trip. Yeah, they are still his friends, they are in this chapter actually. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Glad you thought so! Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #2):** I will include them. He is actually in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #3):** I don't think they will. No, don't worry. Maybe a couple of them will. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** You are Canadian? That's cool! Yeah, I found that out yesterday that this Saturday's episode is episode 22, I'm looking forward to it A LOT. Funny how you compared Clemont to John Cena. John Cena is my favorite. And by the way, a couple chapters ago you told me about what happened a few episodes ago and how you would describe the moment in that episode. I watched that video of Cena and Edge and I think I know have an idea of what her reaction was. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #4):** No they aren't. No she won't. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #5):** No, he's still friends with them as will be seen in this chapter. Maybe. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #6):** Boy I hope we see Ash in love in the anime. Yep Red is crazy. You prefer Shadow over Red? Interesting. By request, she might be. Thanks for the review!

 **Pokemonmeat:** Glad you liked the chapter. That idea? Hm? I could consider it, but I'm not sure if I could fit it in. I already have the rest of the chapters planned out. But hey, I like your suggestion though. Someone being jealous of their love is a fun thought. Thanks for the review!

 **Mixt Number XV:** Yeah, I really liked that part of the chapter too. I had a feeling somebody was going to find that part of the dialogue funny. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #7:** Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** I know. Last chapter was crazy. When you said that part about Cilan, I wasn't sure what you were talking about but when I read the chapter again, I think I know what it is. Thanks for the review!

 **Portland0 (Guest #8):** Not sure yet. I'll consider it. Maybe. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Thanks for thinking the chapter was funny. Imagining what they were doing is fun to think about, isn't it? Thinking that the chapter stood out from the others is a good way to put it. Spring Break might be crazy, I do have one crazy moment planned for it. I got your links in your review and PM. Don't worry about them not showing, we'll find a way. This chapter might be in your top 5? Glad if you think so. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** YES! I knew you would like the chapter! I thought you of all people would like the chapter because of how crazy it was and how Red was. I used Red the way you described to me and I thought that stunt would work pretty well for him. Anyway, good to know you enjoyed it and that it's one of your favorites. Thanks for the review!

 **Mariners22 (Guest #9):** Dawn is dating Ally. I'll consider it. And by your temporary username, you like Robinson Cano? He's my favorite Mariner. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

The sun was rising on a newly arrived Saturday morning. Ash's alarm went off but he didn't move to turn it off, he just kept on sleeping. Pikachu awoke though, who tried to nudge Ash awake to no success. Pikachu did the liberty of turning off the alarm by a simple press of the button, much different than Ash's more complicated slamming of the fist. Ash continued to sleep, so Pikachu thought he would open the blinds to wake him up. Pikachu jumped up onto the window sill and opened the blinds after a couple of jumps to grab the rod. Ash still laid there deep in his sleep. Man, he really was a deep sleeper.

Pikachu went to the door and got on all fours and charged forward as he jumped up into the air and pounced on Ash with a soft thud. Ash's eyes opened up due to the sudden impact. He rubbed his eyes as soon as he opened them.

"You just keep on finding new ways to wake me up every day, don't you buddy? Using your quick attack this time."

Pikachu nodded his head. "Pika."

"Well, I should consider myself lucky. At least you didn't resort to using your volt tackle." He stated. Pikachu rubbed the back of his head. He really wouldn't go that far, otherwise Ash would end up in a coma because of it.

Ash wiped the sleep from his eyes one more time, when he looked at the day on the alarm clock, his eyes widened. Today was the day that spring break would start and he would go on a nine day vacation. He thought he would start the day off with his usual routine and then start packing for the long trip.

Once he had taken his shower and gotten dressed, he took the same bags that he had used during Christmas vacation and started placing the many things he would need on the vacation. Things like sunglasses, shorts, and additional black t-shirts were what he was going to bring. Pikachu even had his own little bag to bring. He had just filled it with his sunglasses and a few bags of Pokemon food and berries. The little guy didn't really need to bring that much, he wasn't human after all.

Ash's phone kept vibrating. It was mainly messages from his friends. Most of them asking when they were going to leave, their anticipation of the vacation, and to see if everyone else was ready or getting ready. One thing they were looking forward to on this trip was that there would be no parents around to monitor them. All their parents trusted the kids that they were around with all the time so they put that into all of them to make sure they stayed safe. They just warned if anything bad happened to them during the trip that they would have to come along next time. Most parents wouldn't want the kids to be alone on this sort of thing but they had to accept the fact that they had to trust them as they got older.

Ash started wondering one thing, this was going to be a ten day vacation and his mom wouldn't be there. This would be the longest time he would be away from her since the summer. Well, the summer was for almost three months, this would only be a week and a half, so it wouldn't be a big deal, but he was graduating in a little over a month. His mom didn't have that much time left with him until he started travelling year round. Once he graduated, he would start travelling every day to achieve his dream of becoming a Pokemon master. The only time he would ever get to see his mom during the year after that would be when one of his journeys ended and he came back home to wait and hear about another region and then set off for another one. He wouldn't know how quickly he would hear about another region when the time came around, he would usually have to wait ten months or sometime within that period to hear about something. Luckily, he had already heard about a new region, Alola, so his first summer out of school was set, he just wondered what else there would be after that. But that was a topic for a later time, he for now was just going to focus on the week and a half ahead.

He was thinking about where they were all going. They had planned to go to the Orange Islands. His mom was going to drive him to the docks and they would take a ship there. Everyone's parents were going to drive them to the dock. They had a set time to get to go before the ship left for the orange islands. The ship was set to leave at noon so they had all planned to meet there a half hour prior to the ship's departure so they could all make last minute checks before they had to leave, like making sure everyone was there for example. He looked at the clock, it was 10:00 so he had an hour and a half until he had to be there. It was a somewhat long drive, not very long, but it was at least a forty minute drive there so his mom had told him to be ready by 10:40 because that's when they would leave.

He checked through all his bags to see if he had everything he needed. He checked through it at least ten times to safely assure he had literally everything. After that, he carried his and Pikachu's bags downstairs and put them by the stairs. He looked at it outside. It was pretty cloudy but the vacation wasn't here in Pallet or Kanto so it wasn't like this would be the weather when they were in the Orange islands. It was almost always sunny in the Orange Islands so the forecast was set for the vacation. Ash had been to the Orange Islands before, and it was a great time, he loved it.

He reflected the last time he had been there. The last time he had been to the Orange Islands was back when he was ten. The last four weeks of his summer journey at that time was spent in the Orange Islands attempting to beat the Orange League. He remembered travelling at that time with Misty and his old friend Tracy. He had to admit that the Orange Islands was the highlight of that summer, because he had conquered the Orange League. Ash knew that the Orange League wasn't an official league so his winning of the Orange League didn't really count as a major league victory, but he still felt proud and accomplished doing so, so that's all that really mattered. Winning at least one league, even if it wasn't a major league, still made him happy, so he didn't really care if it was official or not.

But Ash wondered one other thing, it was his travelling companion Tracy when he travelled the Orange Islands. Ash hadn't really seen him a whole lot since that time. He had seen him every so often in school, but only at least two to three times a year, other than that, nada. But Ash did see him in school again recently and saw him much more since then, and wouldn't you know it, he was going on this vacation with him, so he would have a lot of time to catch up with him. And Ash thought he might, he just might, have an important question to ask him.

Ash went and got a glass of milk and put a couple pieces of toast in the toaster and then went back to look outside. He and Pikachu each took a sip of milk and continued looking at the horizon.

"You ready for this buddy?"

Pikachu nodded his head. "Pika."

"I can't believe we'll be going back to the Orange Islands. It's been ages since we've been there, years." He commented.

Even Pikachu had a good time in the Orange Islands. Winning the league with Ash was one of the first good memories he had with him. He remembered going up against Drake's Ditto in the first battle of the finals, which Pikachu remembered as one of the first times he battled and opponent that looked just like him. Fortunately for Pikachu, he ended up winning that battle. But perhaps the best moment during that match with Drake, was Pikachu was the last Pokemon Ash had left in the battle and he had to go up against Drake's Dragonite. Pikachu admitted it was a tough feat, but a small Pokemon like him defeating a huge Pokemon like Dragonite was a moment where Pikachu knew he was growing stronger as a Pokemon. Not many minute Pokemon can defeat a beast like that. Pikachu had a lot of confidence after beating that Dragonite. It was defeating the Dragonite that sealed Ash's victory in the Orange League, and him and Pikachu winning their first ever League victory. That was one of the times Pikachu felt strong and proud of himself. And there were a lot more times since then were he felt the same way. Really, a lot more. Ash looked at the changing daylight in front of him, unaware that his mom had come downstairs in the meantime.

"Honey, what are you up to?"

"Just looking outside."

"Exactly how long have you been doing that?"

"I don't know. I haven't really checked the time."

"Well, grab your bags and put them in the car, it's about time you leave."

"How much longer?"

"In about five minutes."

"Huh?" Ash's eyes widened as he looked at the clock on the wall. It was 10:35. Time must have been flying by while he was standing in front of the window and looking at the sky. Ash and Pikachu gulped down the last of their milk and Pikachu hopped down off of Ash's shoulder so Ash could grab the bags. He rushed out to the car and put the bags in the car's trunk and closed it. He went back upstairs and grabbed his jacket and hat. Going back downstairs he grabbed his two pieces of toast and went and waited by the front door. His mom went to grab her coat because the air outside was still cold and she wanted to feel warm. She grabbed her keys and the two headed outside into the car and headed on their way.

A few minutes into the drive, Ash took a bite of his toast and put his right elbow onto the door next to the window as he chewed. He looked out the window. As he did, his mom looked over at him.

"Ash, you doing okay?"

Ash nodded his head. "Yeah mom, I'm okay."

"Are you looking forward to this trip?"

"Yep. I'm excited for it."

"You don't sound too excited."

Ash then looked over at his mother. "Believe me mom, I'm excited. Ten whole days on vacation. I'm pretty sure my friends are just as excited as me, if not, more."

"And look on the plus side, you won't have me there. You guys won't have any of your parents there. You should like that, right?"

"Yeah, but I doubt that's the best part about our vacation." Ash stated.

"I know that none of the parents are going to be there, but I just want your word that you will be safe and not get into any trouble. I also want you to be responsible. Please just do that for me, okay?" Delia explained.

"I promise mom. I won't get into any trouble." Ash replied.

"I mean, you can do wild activities while you're there, just as long as it doesn't get you into any legal trouble."

"I'm pretty sure we won't get into that kind of trouble, mom." Ash said.

"I know you won't, but I'm worried that your friend Red will have you do something completely out of the ordinary. Just promise me that you won't do everything crazy that he says. I'm afraid that one of these days that he's not only going to get himself into legal trouble, but you and your friends as well." Delia explained.

Ash knew his mom was right. Red at one point could have all his friends do something so crazy that they could all get in trouble with the authorities. Don't get him wrong, he liked Red being his friend, but the guy was a few nuts away from the insane asylum. It would only be an occasional thing to have all his friends do something Red suggests, other than that, it'd have to be something normal or less likely to end up with all of them getting a life sentence or any sentence for that matter.

"I understand mom." Ash responded, confirming his mom's concerns.

"Okay, just wanted to make sure." She answered. She then rubbed her son's hatless head.

Ash and his mom had reached the docks with five minutes left to spare. Ash had seen that Ritchie, Ally, and Shadow had already made it there. There was less than a half hour until the boat left for the Orange Islands, so he hoped that everyone was not too far behind.

"Hey guys." Ash greeted the four, waving his hand at them, who waved back.

"Hey Ash." They all replied.

"So Ash, you ready for this?" Ally asked.

"I think I speak for all of us that we're definitely ready for this vacation." Ash stated.

"Good point." Shadow commented.

"Hey Ally, have any idea when Dawn is going to show up?"

"She's a few minutes out, she just texted me right when you got here."

"Yeah, I got a text from Gary and Brock, they'll be here within ten minutes." Ritchie added. Ash's phone then just vibrated, he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it.

"Oh, just got a text from Red. He's almost here." Ash stated.

"Does Red really need to come with us?" Shadow asked.

"Come on, Shadow, he's our friend. Why wouldn't he be allowed to come?" Ash asked.

"It's not that I don't want him to go, but after the guys night we had a few weeks ago, do you think he might pull something on the boat? I really don't want to drown before I graduate." Shadow explained.

"I doubt Red would do something that would end up killing all of us."

"Come on, Ash. This is Red we're talking about here."

"Look, we're letting Red come along because he's known us for a while, although Red is a little bent in the mind, he means well and he wouldn't think last before he acted, so I don't think he'll end up doing something that would end all of our lives. Probably the worst that he would do is getting us in jail, that's pretty much it." Ash explained.

"True." Shadow sighed. "Let's just hope for the best."

"Besides, Red would probably be hurt if we didn't invite him. Who knows, he might add some excitement to this vacation." Ash stated.

"Okay, maybe that wouldn't be so bad."

In the next twenty minutes, everyone had arrived. The boat was leaving in a few minutes so they quickly got on board after they had checked everything and made sure everyone was there. They even had to do that once they got on the boat, and luckily everyone was, so with that, the boat set off and off to the Orange Islands they went.

The first half hour of the ride passed by. The docks were no longer within view as the boat had to have been at least five miles away from them by now. It was a pretty long ride to the Orange Islands, but it wasn't going to be an all day ride, maybe just a few hours. Everyone had already gotten comfortable on the ship. Some of them were out at the front, looking at the oceanfront in front of them, some of them were catching some more sleep since they didn't get enough last night in the cabins, and some were just walking around the ship, seeing whatever sights were around them. Our couple were doing the last of the three.

"You enjoying the view?" Ash asked.

"Yep." She replied.

"Just to think, we'll be at the Orange Islands later today. It's been a while since I've been there."

"How long has it been?"

"About six years. I haven't been there since I challenged the Orange League when I was ten."

"Well, it's good to know that you'll be going back to one of the places you travelled in." She commented.

"Yeah. I really haven't returned to any of the regions I've travelled in during the summers I challenged a league."

Serena wondered about the upcoming summer that would be here within a month and a half, when her and Ash would be traversing the Alola region. She wondered what it would be like. What Pokemon were there? What iconic buildings and structures were there? She really wanted to know, but she would have to wait for that.

"I'm really curious what the Alola region is going to be like when we travel there this summer." Serena stated.

"Me too. I wonder what the gym leaders are like and what new Pokemon are there." Ash commented.

Of course he would go to that subject. She had a feeling his first thought would be that. But this was Ash, what else would he be thinking about?

Serena laid her head on his shoulder. "Well, whoever they are, I'll be there rooting for you all the way."

Ash smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks! And whatever you do there, I'll be there to root for you as well."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

The two of them continued looking out into the water. A certain red and white jacket boy walked up from behind them and leaned onto the railing.

"How are you two?" Red asked.

"Fine." They both replied.

"Nice to look out into the distance like this, huh?"

"Yep." Ash responded.

"Gee Red, you seem relaxed." Serena said.

"Eh, when I'm out on open water or in a nice, soothing area, I'm quite relaxed." Red explained.

"Wow Red, I never knew you had a side like that." Ash commented.

"It's not one I show a lot or people know I have. When I'm not out having a good time, I on occasion find moments like this to take in."

"Well, it's good to know you are like that sometimes Red." Serena commented.

"Glad you think so. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the control room and mess around with the controls a bit." Red stated.

"Go have fun." Ash said as Red walked off. But then Ash realized what Red had said. "WAIT, WHAT? Red, hold on." Ash called out to Red and went after him. Serena just kept on looking at the sea, alone. But she knew Ash would come back once he stopped Red from causing a ruckus.

She was going to love this vacation.

At about 3:30, they had arrived at the Orange Islands. They looked around. Everyone but Ash, Tracy, and Misty were amazed by the way it looked. It was really sunny and the buildings and structures were incredible. Ash, Tracy, and Misty didn't really have a reaction, as they've been here before, so they just looked around and smiled. They all then decided to head to a hotel and get a couple of rooms. Once they reached it, they got the two rooms they needed and went up to them. The boys were in one room, the girls in the other. When the guys entered theirs, there were just enough beds to accommodate all of them. The room was pretty amazing.

Ash and the guys all put their stuff in the room they were going to be staying in for the next week and a half. With that guys night they had not too long ago, this one was to surely beat it.

"Aw man, I can't wait to get this vacation started. I'm so hyped up!" Cameron cheered, pumped up for the days ahead.

"Man, he's been saying that the whole ride over here." Gary said to Ritchie.

"Hey, give the man a break. He's just as excited as we all are." Ritchie stated.

"When you've got ten days to do whatever the hell you want with no parents around, why wouldn't you be excited?" Brock explained.

"Just imagine Brock, if you weren't with Lucy right now, I'm pretty sure you'd be flirting with every girl here." Cilan stated.

"Yeah. But that was my past. Lucy is the only girl for me. But you're right, I would try to get at least one girl if I wasn't in a relationship right now." Brock said.

"Oh man, I miss those days." Ash stated.

"You don't, do you?" Brock asked.

"Not really." Ash responded.

"I'm pretty sure for those of us in a relationship, that you're going to spend most of your spring break with them." Clemont stated.

"When are you going to get with Shauna? She's been dropping a lot of hints lately." Tierno asked.

"What hints?" Clemont asked. All the guys facepalmed. Clemont was as dense as Ash was before he got with Serena.

"Come on guys, let's get all our stuff unpacked and go meet up with the girls, they're probably waiting on us." Morrison stated.

"They're probably just as busy as we are at the moment." Stephan said.

"Man, this is going to be one hell of a break." Cameron exclaimed once again. There was no stopping his enthusiasm. A lot of teens looked forward to a time like this in their school years. They were sure going to make the best of this. This was their last chance, if they didn't do this now, there would be no more opportunities. They had to make this count, that's for sure.

 **Author's note:** Well what a start to the vacation that was. Red, don't kill anybody or I'll write you out of the story. Nah, just kidding. You're perfectly fine. I'm sorry if this chapter seemed boring to you. I'm trying to build up to the next chapter which I promise will be more eventful. Believe me, I've got a couple ideas for the next chapter and they're going to be great. If you want to know what one of them will be, read the preview.

With the sun starting to set and the sky's aura a mixture of day and night, the group thought they would start heading in for the night. They got whatever they brought out and headed back to their hotel. But for Ash, he had something else planned. He wanted to stay out a bit longer, but in order for him to do what he wanted to do, he had to change into something decent first so he went to do that.

He headed back up to the guys' room and got into a pair of tan shorts that went down to his knees and put on a light blue khaki shirt, a different attire than that of what he had been wearing throughout the break. He put back on the sandals he had been wearing as well and left the room to go to his destination. On his way to the elevator, he came across Shauna, which was a lucky break, seeing as he needed to tell one of the girls something important.

"Hey Shauna, do you know where Serena is?"

"She's in our room lying down on her bed. Why? What do you need her for?"

"Tell her to meet me down by the shore in fifteen minutes. Oh, and tell her to wear something nice." Ash explained.

"Sure thing Ash." She replied and walked into their room.

Ash went down to the beach and stood by the shore. The horizon shined a red-orange glare, something that Ash liked. It reminded him of Charizard in a way. It looked like Charizard used flamethrower on the sky. In his mind, that seemed like something that would be used in a Pokemon contest, or a showcase for that matter.

Ash continued to stare out into the tropical view. Pikachu wasn't with him. Ash wanted to talk to Serena alone and Pikachu was perfectly fine with it. Pikachu knew when Ash had to do something like this when he started dating Serena, and it was something he was quickly getting used to and didn't bug him really at all.

"I miss this. It's been a long time since I've been here to see this." Ash said to himself.

He then heard squelches of sand as footsteps were heard behind him. He knew it was her. She walked up to him and stood beside him. Ash looked over at her. She looked incredibly beautiful. She was wearing a silver dress that went down to her knees, white sandals that were different than the ones she'd been wearing this week, and wore a pair of diamond earrings and the heart necklace he had given to her back on Christmas.

She put her arms behind her back. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

 **Author's note:** Ooh, spicy! Wait! Don't want to get ahead of myself. What is Ash planning to talk to Serena about? Will he declare his love for her? Oh wait, they're already together. *Slaps forehead* Come on BigJ, don't be an idiot. Anyway, what is going to happen? I've never said this before in a chapter. To be honest I'm looking forward to the next chapter. What about you? If you want to find out, you're going to have to wait a week. *Slaps forehead again* Don't be an ass either BigJ. Let's hope your week goes by quick like mine and see what happens in the next chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **We gotta get new agents. We're getting screwed!**

 **-Daffy Duck, Space Jam**


	12. Live It Up

**TDBigJ's message:** Man, what a lot of news. So much in one week. Hey guys. I have heard a lot in the past week. Hearing about the Republican National Convention, the success of Pokemon Go, new Pokemon in Sun and Moon, etc. It seems that a lot of people are getting into Pokemon Go. My middle brother, a WWE wrestler, a lot of people. I want to play it as well, but I don't think I have a compatible device. I even heard that someone has already discovered all of the Pokemon in the game. Lucky them. Have you guys seen the six new Pokemon in Sun and Moon? Wimpod, Mudsdale, Mimikyu, just to name a few. Is it just me, or does Mimikyu look like a ragdoll Pikachu? I don't know if that's the right description, but that's the way I see it. Probably the one thing I'm excited about that I heard about in the last week is that Nintendo is coming out with a classic NES console that is basically a miniaturized version of the original. It comes with 30 built in games and comes out on November 11th. Oh man, am I going to get that. I may have a couple of one-shots coming out soon, so get prepared. Earlier this week, I got into another anime. It goes by the name: Detective Conan. I'm not sure if you guys have heard of it but go watch a few episodes of it, it's pretty damn good. Let's get to the responding of the reviews, I'm pretty sure I've bored you guys out.

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, it was Edge's last line in that scene that got me thinking. Ha, nice with that John Cena thing, I see what you did there. You like Nakamura? I've heard of him but I've never seen him wrestle, mainly because I'm not able to watch NXT. Red reminds you of Dean Ambrose? I like the sound of that. He happens to be my second favorite. Yeah, Ash getting sick in this past Saturday's episode (Episode 22) is something we haven't seen in the anime. It's a rarity that Ash ever does. What will Ash do in this chapter? You'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #1):** Yeah I guess I could. I admit last chapter was pretty plain. It was just a build up chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I don't think they will. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #2):** She will, don't worry. No he won't. Maybe not. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #3):** I'm not sure. Yes she is. Thanks for the review!

 **Pokemonmeat:** Yeah, I'm sorry I won't be able to use your idea. It's just a little late in the story and I feel like there won't be time to use it. Believe me, I want to use it, but there's only three chapters left after this one and there won't be much of it to put in. I hate to say no, but I'm glad you like my writing. Thanks for the review!

 **Rams30 (Guest #4):** No he won't. Thanks for the review!

 **Raiders89 (Guest #5):** Maybe not. But there is something he will have a few of the guys do this chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Jaguars5 (Guest #6):** I'm not quite sure. Thanks for the review!

 **Mariners22 (Guest #7):** I knew you liked Robinson Cano. New characters will appear. He could before the end of the story. No, don't worry, they won't be bullied. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #8:** Spicy and sweet, huh? Thanks for that! Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #9:** Yeah, I think Red's calm side can make him less likely to mess things up, although I'm not even sure that's true. Glad you liked the chapter and we'll see what the group does in this chapter. Yeah, you will be seeing what they do late in the chapter. That last part of your review gave me an idea of their conversation. Thanks for the review!

 **Seahawks3 (Guest #10):** She will this chapter. Yes she will. Maybe not. Thanks for the review!

 **White sox 49 (Guest #11):** No, he won't do that. Probably not. Thanks for the review!

 **Pelicans23 (Guest #12):** He might. There is something he will have a few of the guys do in this chapter, and it's pretty crazy. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Glad you liked the chapter. That could be a good idea. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Yeah, I guess you could use a vacation. Good. It seems you think I'm doing a good job with Red. Don't worry, I most likely could never write him as good as you could, he's your character after all. OH MY DEAR GOD! Your character for your story seems like a madman. All that stuff you said to describe him makes him seem a thousand times crazier than I'm portraying Red. But I like that he is, it's all for good humor. Glad you liked the chapter. I wasn't sure if you would, but you did and that's fine. And it's fine that you wouldn't go back and read the last chapter. It wasn't one of my proudest chapters but I felt like it was needed to build up for this one. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

Everyone was fast asleep. It was 8:00 in the morning and they were all still sleeping peacefully. In the guys room, the sun had already started brightening on the walls of the room. Some weren't affected by it, a few were. Those that were affected started having an episode in their minds.

"No Charizard, you're supposed to barbeque the meat, not the chips." Red mumbled in his sleep. "No, I don't mean me either!"

Unfortunately for a few, Red's mumbling awakened them, due to them being light sleepers. Their eyes slowly cracked open. They weren't bugged by their sudden interruption of their sleep.

"Red, are you having your nightly dream of a family barbeque gone horribly wrong again?" Ritchie asked. This was a failed attempt, as Red continued his slumber mumbling.

"Don't barbeque the tree! You only shoot flamethrower at it if I tell you to."

"I'll take that as a yes." Ritchie said to himself as he lifted the covers up and got out of bed. He went over to the shade and opened it, letting the blazing hot sun shine in on the room, nearly blinding the unfortunate inhabitants of the room.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" All the guys yelled as their eyeballs were almost burned to ashes.

"AAAHHH! It burns!" Brock yelled.

"You could almost serve my eyes as meatballs." Morrison exclaimed.

Pikachu awoke from all the screaming. The hot sun didn't awake him, he was used to not letting it jar him awake. He stretched his arms out and then his back, but he almost stretched too hard to the point that he would get stuck.

"Really Ritchie? You had to open that?" Cameron complained.

"Oh come on guys, a little sun isn't going to kill you. Or in this case, blind you." Ritchie added.

"FYI, I might need glasses now." Tracy stated.

"You guys will be fine. Now get up, we've got another big day ahead of us."

"I just wonder if Red's going to have us do anything else crazy today." Shadow said.

"Nah, I don't really have anything in mind, and that's rare." Red stated and he fell back onto his bed.

"Come on Red, get up, man." Gary said.

"Just a few more minutes."

"We've got to get moving."

But even with that, Red stayed face planted into his pillow. Pikachu got up onto Red's bed and used iron tail on him, straight into the back, sending a jolt of electricity up his spine.

"All right, all right, I'm up." Red exclaimed as he got up, rubbing his back that was now in pain. Pikachu went back to Ash's bed and stood next to him.

"Pikachu, was that iron tail on Red really necessary?" Ash asked.

Pikachu nodded his head. "Pika pika!"

"Well, at least it got Red up and moving, I'll give you that."

"Maybe you could use it on Stephan too. He hasn't woken up yet." Cameron said.

"Eh, he'll wake up eventually." Ash said and got out of bed. "It looks like a nice day out."

"It's the Orange Islands, it always looks nice. And I'm fine, thanks for asking." Morrison stated.

"Man, I've got to get in the shower. I need to wash off whatever I slept in last night." Gary said.

"Hey man, I've got to get in too." Tracy exclaimed.

"So do I. I probably sweat a lot last night." Shadow said.

"Same here. I haven't taken one in a week." Red stated.

"You haven't? That's sick!" Ritchie remarked.

"I haven't gotten dirty or sweaty at all in the last week so why should it matter?" Red questioned.

"Dude, you should be taking a shower every day. Everyone does it." Cameron pointed out.

"Well sorry, but I'm not like everyone else. I'm my own kind of person." Red stated.

"Well, I've got to get in. So first come, first serve." Brock said and ran towards the bathroom. But the guys, including Stephan, who had just woken up, ran after him, not letting him have any of it. But since they were all so eager to get cleaned for the day, they ran into the doorway, getting stuck together. All of them tried to get through, but they were crammed.

"Dude let me go first." Shadow said.

"No, let me." Barry said.

"Hey, if you don't all back off, I will scratch and bite each one of you to fend you off." Red exclaimed.

"You guys don't even want to know what I'm going to do." Morrison remarked.

"You better not!" Clemont stated.

"Okay, okay. We need a way to settle this." Ash stated.

"But what?"

The guys eventually decided to pick a number. Ash was considerate enough to get in later and was the one to think of a number. After all the guys picked their number, Cameron was the closest so he was the lucky one that got to go first. Ash explained that whoever was closest to his number got in sooner, and the rest was easy to explain. Ash ultimately decided to go in the middle of everybody, the rest of the guys agreeing that would only be fair.

Once each guy had taken their shower and clothes on, it was time to go have some breakfast. They knew that they would beat the girls there since girls usually took longer to get ready. Who knows? Maybe they were all still taking showers. Red had a mischievous idea but quickly threw it aside. Even HE wasn't that crazy to do something like that.

The guys reached the elevator but once they got inside it was the bathroom escapade all over again, as they felt more squished than a twinkie in a hydraulic press. They really hoped they wouldn't get warm and sweaty otherwise their showers this morning would have been all for naught. On another note, Morrison was getting so squished, that his threat in the doorway was almost a reality, and seriously tried not to let it happen. But wouldn't you know it, some complaints from the guys started occurring.

"You're stepping on my foot."

"You're pushing up against me."

"Stop breathing on me."

"You're almost kissing me dude."

"I should've gone to the bathroom before we left."

But soon, the commotion stopped as the elevator got to the bottom floor and they all got out. Luckily they got out one at a time so that the same escapade didn't happen for a THIRD time. They went over to the cafeteria and got some food and sat down at a table. They munched away at their food at conversed. Fifteen minutes later the girls had arrived, all wearing their summer gear or their regular attire. They came over and sat down next to them.

"Did you guys sleep good last night?" May asked.

"Yes." Said all the guys simultaneously.

"You girls do?" Tracy asked.

"Yes." Said all the girls simultaneously.

"My slumber was interrupted this morning." Ally stated.

"So was ours. Ritchie woke us up by the blinding sun. What about yours?" Clemont asked.

"We were awaken by your guys screaming this morning." Shauna stated.

"That was because of Ritchie." Barry remarked.

"Yeah, we figured that much." Dawn replied.

"So what are we all going to do today?" Brock asked.

"Just hang around the beach. That's what I'm going to do." Misty answered.

"We'll just come up with something once we leave here. There's bound to be something." Gary said.

Once everybody got done with their breakfast they left the hotel and went towards the beach. Some went to do their own thing, some stayed together as a group.

"Let's go walk on the beach for a few minutes. I could take a moment to relax before we start doing bigger things." Ash said.

He, Serena, Dawn, Ally, Shadow and May went towards the water and took a stroll on the sand. Hearing the ocean sounds of Wingulls and the waves was very calming. They all let those sounds make their minds chill. Of course there were sounds of other teens and kids horseplaying around the beach, but that sound was nothing compared to what the ocean was giving them. Serena grabbed Ash's left arm and leaned up against him.

"Isn't this beautiful Ash? I've never been to a beach before, but I am already liking what I'm seeing."

"Glad you like it. Being here six years ago brings back memories. I spent some time on this beach before. Great times."

"I just wonder what it would look like when it hits sunset. I bet that would look even better." She commented.

That just gave Ash and idea. Maybe tonight he would bring Serena back here at sunset and the two of them, just the two of them, could admire the scenery, plus, each other.

A little later, the groups were now scattered and mixed up from earlier. Ash was now with Brock, Gary, and Barry. Serena was still with them, and she was the only one that stuck with Ash since they left the hotel.

"What now guys?" Gary asked.

"Do you have anything in mind?" Brock asked.

"Not really." Gary replied.

Suddenly, Aria came up to the group, mainly just to tell Serena something.

"Hey, the girls and I going to check out the plaza nearby, want to come?"

"Sure. Is that okay Ash?" She asked, looking at him.

"Go ahead. I'll be fine." He responded.

"Okay, let's go." Aria said and ran off with Serena right behind her. Now that she was gone, the guys continued their thinking.

But from behind them, Red came running up, and from what looked like him huffing and puffing, he must have heard something.

"Red, what's the big rush?" Gary asked.

"There's this one guy that told me something." Red responded.

"And?"

"He told me there is a Tauros pen near here, and he said he'd take us all to it." Red further explained.

"Eh, I wouldn't mind going there. Seeing some Pokemon might calm us down a bit." Ash stated.

"Oh believe me, you will need your energy for this one." Red said, smirking mischievously. "Come on, let's go."

"Oh boy." Brock said, somehow feeling this would lead to something disastrous.

Once they got to the Tauros pen, there was one Tauros, munching at the grass. From what the guys thought, it looked pretty calm.

"Just a Tauros? Looks like a nice fellow to me." Barry stated.

"Actually, that one's got a hot temper. But only if you bug it too much, other than that, he's harmless." Aaron said.

"So, that's what you brought us here for Red? Just to look at a Tauros?" Tracy asked.

"Actually, no. Aaron happened to tell me an activity we could do." Red stated.

"What would that be?" Ash asked.

"A little Tauros slap." Red answered.

"How does that work?" Barry asked, somehow curious.

"All you got to do is go inside that pen and slap the Tauros on the rear end and then hightail it out of there." Sean explained.

"Sounds dangerous." Brock pointed out. "But I kind of like the idea."

"Really Brock? You of all people would like to try this out?" Gary asked.

"Actually, yes. As a matter of fact, I'm going in."

And with that, Brock hopped over the fence and slowly inched his way towards the serene Tauros, who continued to munch on the grass. With each quiet step, Brock did his best to not alert the Tauros of his presence. Once he got right up to the Tauros, he gave it a nice firm slap and started bolting his way out of the pen. Since the Tauros didn't give chase, Brock easily made it back over the fence safely without a scratch. All the guys clapped and cheered, Brock having proven successful.

"Okay, which one of you knuckleheads is next?" Aaron asked.

"You know what? I'm going to give it a try." Barry remarked and hopped over the fence and went slowly up towards the Tauros. Just like Brock, Barry slapped the behind of the Tauros and like before, the Tauros gave no chase after Barry, who prevailed as he got over the fence.

"Man, I was scared there for a second, but I'm glad I got back unscathed." Barry stated.

"Okay, my turn. I'm going for it." Ash exclaimed and hopped over the fence and silently walked up to the Tauros and gave it a nice open palm slap and charged back for the fences. He was able to get back easily, as the Tauros once again didn't give chase. The guys were starting to get confused. Why wasn't the Tauros chasing any of them?

"Aaron, why isn't the Tauros chasing any of us?" Ash asked.

"I guess he's letting people off the hook today." Aaron replied.

"Come on Red, why don't you go do it?" Barry suggested.

"I don't think I should." Red replied.

"Oh go and do it, Red. You were the one who convinced us to come here." Ash stated.

"I'm not so sure."

"Oh, so Mr. I've got a lot of guts isn't having the guts to slap a Tauros. Interesting." Gary stated.

"Just because I do a lot of crazy things doesn't mean I should capitalize every opportunity I get when one pops up." Red explained.

"Red, please do it. We want to see if the Tauros chases you or not." Brock said.

"You know what? I'll do it. Wish me luck." Red said and propelled himself over the fence and started to make his way over to the Tauros.

"Hey Aaron, thanks for letting us come here, man." Barry said.

"Sure. No problem." Aaron responded. "Although I'm shaky of your friend's possibility of success."

"Why is that?" Brock asked.

"Well, the most slaps I've seen that Tauros take before he charges is three. After that, it's not pretty. I've seen many people do this and it never has once succeeded three." Aaron explained.

"Well, he should be fine then." Brock said. "Wait!" He started counting on his fingers of how many of them had already slapped the Tauros, when he finished, he silently gasped. "Uh oh."

"What is it Brock?" Ash asked, looking at him.

"We've got to get Red out of there." Brock stated.

"How come?"

"If Aaron has said it's never exceeded three slaps, and three of us have already slapped Tauros, then…" All three of their eyes widened.

"RED GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" All three of them shouted at the top of their lungs. But it was too late, Red had already had his hand held back and slapped the Tauros. The Tauros finally had enough and turned around and started charging after Red. Red's run turned into a full on sprint after he heard the clopping behind him. Red felt the rush of being in danger and smiled and cheered loudly and kept sprinting. The Tauros was getting closer but Red was getting closer to the fence. Red neared the fence and jumped over it, barely avoiding getting attacked by the Tauros. Red started panting heavily, as did the other guys.

"Man, that was too close." Red stated.

"You got lucky there, Red. Not nearly as lucky as Brock, Barry, and I did." Ash remarked.

"Tell me about it." Red stated. But the Tauros got his left horn outside the fence and put it around Red's torso and started pulling him. Red panicked and tried pulling the Tauros' horn off of him.

"Guys, help me here." Red said, shaking as he felt like he was going to be split in half. The four other guys started pulling on the Tauros' horn to pry it off of Red. Luckily, the Tauros was a little exhausted from chasing after Red and had used up the last of his energy trying to pull Red in and the guys were able to pull the horn off.

"Man, I've got to cut down on these things." Red remarked.

"Maybe it would be best for you. Your personality is making you do these kinds of things and you are possibly risking your health and well being." Ash said.

"Come on, let's get back to the others, they're probably wondering where we are." Gary stated.

With that, the five of them started heading back to the beach area, where their friends would meet up with them. This certainly had to be an interesting event. They were pretty sure they weren't going to do this again.

With the sun starting to set and the sky's aura a mixture of day and night, the group thought they would start heading in for the night. They got whatever they brought out and headed back to their hotel. But for Ash, he had something else planned. He wanted to stay out a bit longer, but in order for him to do what he wanted to do, he had to change into something decent first so he went to do that.

He headed back up to the guys' room and got into a pair of tan shorts that went down to his knees and put on a light blue khaki shirt, a different attire than that of what he had been wearing throughout the break. He put back on the sandals he had been wearing as well and left the room to go to his destination. On his way to the elevator, he came across Shauna, which was a lucky break, seeing as he needed to tell one of the girls something important.

"Hey Shauna, do you know where Serena is?"

"She's in our room lying down on her bed. Why? What do you need her for?"

"Tell her to meet me down by the shore in fifteen minutes. Oh, and tell her to wear something nice." Ash explained.

"Sure thing Ash." She replied and walked into their room.

Ash went down to the beach and stood by the shore. The horizon shined a red-orange glare, something that Ash liked. It reminded him of Charizard in a way. It looked like Charizard used flamethrower on the sky. In his mind, that seemed like something that would be used in a Pokemon contest, or a showcase for that matter.

Ash continued to stare out into the tropical view. Pikachu wasn't with him. Ash wanted to talk to Serena alone and Pikachu was perfectly fine with it. Pikachu knew when Ash had to do something like this when he started dating Serena, and it was something he was quickly getting used to and didn't bug him really at all.

"I miss this. It's been a long time since I've been here to see this." Ash said to himself.

He then heard squelches of sand as footsteps were heard behind him. He knew it was her. She walked up to him and stood beside him. Ash looked over at her. She looked incredibly beautiful. She was wearing a silver dress that went down to her knees, white sandals that were different than the ones she'd been wearing this week, and wore a pair of diamond earrings and the heart necklace he had given to her back on Christmas.

She put her arms behind her back. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Did I ever tell you of my adventure here six years ago?" He asked.

"Not that I remember. How was it?" She asked.

"I remember travelling here after I had finished my journey in Kanto. I had a decent top 16 finish in the Indigo League. Professor Oak wanted me to fetch a Pokeball from a professor here in the Orange Islands, but once I heard of the Orange League, I started on that after I got the ball to Oak."

"Seems like it was a tough job."

"It was, especially our journey to get here. It was rough. But when I started challenging the Orange League, I got to the tournament and ended up winning the whole thing. It was really the only league I've ever won. It wasn't an official league, but I still consider it an achievement." Ash explained.

"I'm glad you did. If I was there with you I would have ecstatic for your win." Serena commented.

"But that isn't why I wanted you to meet me here."

"Hm?"

"The reason I wanted you and me to be down here is, is that I want to talk about us." He stated.

"Us? What do you want to talk to me about it?"

"It's been almost a year since we started dating. In a little over a month it will be one year. I wanted just to talk to you to see where we're at right now and what the future holds for us." Ash explained.

Serena smiled. "Aww, I can't believe you remembered the day we started going out."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh it's nothing. Most guys usually wouldn't remember the day they met their girlfriend or wife."

"Well, I'm not like most guys. I remember important dates."

"I'm happy that you consider the day we started dating important. That means a lot to me."

"The fact that it makes you happy is the reason it is so vital to me. I'd hate to disappoint you. That's the last thing I want to do." Ash commented.

"Is it really?" Serena asked.

"One hundred ten percent." He replied.

"Anyway, I just wanted to know, what are your thoughts of our relationship up to this point?" He asked.

"I'm just really glad that we're together. When I first met you, I instantly fell for you. I really wanted to be with you from there on out, but seeing as how dense you were at the time, I was a little scared that it may never happen, but I for sure didn't give up hope. And fortunately, because of that, we did end up together. I saw you slowly build up the same way towards me the way I felt towards you. I wasn't sure if you were actually going to return my affections, but when you kissed me when you walked me home from prom, I was shocked but at the same time bursting with emotions on the inside. I was just surprised that you did end up liking me back, and you made me the happiest girl in the world when you asked me to be your girlfriend the day before we started our journey last summer. My life would be nowhere near the same if you weren't here with me."

Ash looked down at the ground and smiled. He was happy that she put a lot of thought into her response. A little over a year ago he would have little understanding of what she had just explained to him, but now he knew exactly what she was trying to say to him. He was just happy that she made him mature, both in general and romantically. He knew becoming smarter as a person and a Pokemon trainer would have made him mature, but not in every way. Being opened to the idea of romance gave him a sense of growing up, and it didn't really bother him, not in the least.

"I am happy that you said all that. I mean, one year ago, I would have never even thought about being in a relationship. I know I was seventeen a year ago and most teenagers get into a relationship at that age or sooner, but I guess I was one of those that was going to end up different, but you changed that. When we spent all that time together, I originally thought we were just going to be best friends and that would be it. But after a couple of months, something inside me started to change. It wasn't a feeling I was familiar with, but I talked to my mom about it, and she explained to me that I was starting to have feelings for you, I wasn't completely sure if she was right, after a few weeks of thinking, I realized she was right. On the week of prom, that was when it hit the hardest. I wanted to show it to you as soon as I could, but I wanted to wait until prom night to do that, that's why I kissed you when we got back to your house. Since then, I have never regretted it." Ash explained.

A single tear escaped from each of Serena's eyes. She took her right hand and wiped each of them off. "You just made me happier than I already am."

"Well, that is a man's job. He has to make sure his woman is happy." Ash stated.

The two then returned to looking at the sunset. The sun was slowly making it's descent below the horizon. A thought then popped into Serena's mind.

"It really is a nice view, isn't it?"

"Yep."

"It's just… really beautiful. Just the right moment for-"

She was then interrupted by Ash pulling in and kissing her. She was a little surprised but let it happen. She always wanted this sort of thing to happen, and now, it just did. The kiss lasted for a good thirty seconds until Ash pulled away but still held onto her.

"I know you've always wanted me to kiss you in front of a sunset. I just thought now was a good a time as any."

She wanted to say something really bad, but words couldn't make their way out of her mouth. She just smiled and looked into those brown orbs that she admired, as he did the same. Ash then saw something a little ways away from them, which he didn't expect.

"Hey, isn't that Pikachu and Buneary?" He asked, pointing at the two. Serena turned her head and saw them.

"It is. But why are they out here?"

Pikachu had in fact brought Buneary out here, unknown to the fact that he didn't let Ash know. The yellow mouse had the same idea as him, Ash just had no idea. The two had gotten out here about five minutes ago, doing the same thing Ash and Serena were doing. Pikachu had a little plan. He put his arm around Buneary, much to the surprise of Buneary, who blushed and stuffed her face in her ear.

"Pika?"

"Bun!"

Pikachu lately had been catching some hints from Buneary. He had also been as dense as Ash was but got smarter as time went on. He wanted to make Buneary happy, just like his trainer with his girl.

"Pi?"

"Bun."

Pikachu thought he might as well do it. He didn't have any other chance. He gave her a peck on the cheek, much to Buneary's shock. She was instantly surprised. Was Pikachu actually returning her feelings? She thought this was a dream, but it wasn't, it was reality. She looked at the electric mouse with a confused expression. Pikachu finally had the idea, and put his arm around Buneary. Buneary's look then changed into a smile, as she buried her head into her crush's chest and went back to looking at the sunset, happy as could be, and believe it or not, Pikachu was as well. The two trainers looked at the two Pokemon, smiling at the lovely sight.

"Well played, Pikachu. Well played." Ash commented.

The night ended perfectly for all four. Ash and Serena's bond strengthened while Pikachu and Buneary became a thing. This was really a great vacation. This was one to look back on in the future. The two trainers walked up to the two Pokemon and spent the next passing minutes together.

What a day it had been.

 **Author's note:** Well, look at what happened. I thought that last part of the chapter was great. I like how Ash started reflecting back on his relationship with Serena and Pikachu ended up with Buneary. What a good way to end a chapter. Look at that, Pikachu got a girl before Clemont did. Well, that's not really nice to say, it's getting close, believe me. In my opinion, it was a great chapter, but what about you guys? That guy Aaron in this chapter, he was just a random guy. The Tauros slap game they did, that was inspired by a scene in a movie. It was an idea I have had in my mind for a while. Hard to believe there is only a few chapters left, but here is the preview for the next one.

"It's just that time of year where you don't have to really worry about much. When we're in school, we don't have to worry about what goes on during the summer." Brock stated.

"Yeah. Whatever happens to us during the summer usually doesn't happen to us when school is going on. It's just a lucky break for us I guess." Ash added.

"Yep. Thankfully." Clemont said.

But all of a sudden, there was a loud explosion from outside, catching every student's attention. Everyone that was in the commons ran out to the back schoolyard. What was going on was nothing you'd expect in this kind of scenery: Two wild Pokemon were attacking each other a little ways at the end of the schoolyard. The two Pokemon were an Alakazam and a Electabuzz. Everyone was surprised. Why was this happening here?

"I stand corrected." Brock said.

"Well, we can't just sit here and let it happen. I'm going to get Pikachu." Ash said and ran off towards the school nursery, Brock, Clemont, and Dawn went and did the same. Within a couple minutes they had returned with their Pokemon. Brock, Clemont, and Dawn had released their Pokemon and had them start attacking the two Pokemon. Even others, including Trip and Paul, had gotten Pokemon to stop the charade. Some others stood back and watched. Seeing the attacks come towards them, the Alakazam and Electabuzz dodged out of the way and started firing at the Pokemon from the students.

"Come on, Pikachu, don't let up. Hit Alakazam with volt tackle." Ash commanded.

Pikachu started charging towards the Alakazam, lighting up with electricity as he ran. Alakazam attempted to get out of the way but Pikachu was too quick for him and Pikachu rammed into him with a big hit. Pikachu flew in the air and landed on all fours near Ash, ready to initiate another attack.

Alakazam was furious after the hit. Not wanting to get hit again, started charging a Psybeam. Ash thought this would be the perfect time to hit it with another attack.

"Okay Pikachu, use volt tackle again."

Pikachu once again ran at the Alakazam. Alakazam had already charged up it's psybeam and fired it at Pikachu. Pikachu leaped in the air as he got close, just in time to dodge the psybeam.

But then it went straight past Pikachu, right at Ash. And the beam was coming fast. Ash tried to jump out of the way…

 **Author's note:** Whoa! What happened? This has got to be a first for me. Leaving you guys with a cliffhanger. Did Ash get hit? Did he dodge it in the nick of time? I hate to have you guys wait a week to find out, but that's the way it's going to have to be. Cross your fingers and hope for the best. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested.**

 **Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory**


	13. Armed and Dangerous

**TDBigJ's message:** *Yawn* Another uneventful week. Oh well. I've been working on my job search for the past few days, making up my resume, whatever else. Nothing else going on, other than the fact that I've been trying to raise my Gamerscore. Yeah, not doing really well at that at this point. I've just been reading a lot of video game news for the past week. Let's just say I'm obsessed with the NES Classic Edition that's coming out on Veterans Day. Most of the video game news I've read in the last week has been about that alone. Other than that, I've been getting this done. This story is getting close to the finale, only two more chapters after this one. *Sniffle* This story has been going by pretty fast hasn't it? Hard to believe it's already been almost three months since I started this thing and only two weeks left. As I think about the many moments that have occurred in this story, let's get to the responding of reviews.

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, I'm glad I caught onto that Cena thing. Yeah, that draft was something wasn't it? Mick Foley being the GM for RAW surprised me as well, and I had the same thoughts as you did of who it would have been. Hard to believe my two favorites went to Smackdown, but I'll be cheering them on. I wish I could watch NXT but my cable provider doesn't have the WWE Network. I thought the Amourshipping moment from the last chapter had to have been the best one in this story. They're now in the semis in the Kalos League? Can't wait to watch them. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #1):** I know he is. That was the request by one of the readers. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I have a plan for them later on, you'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **49ers (Guest #2):** I don't know if we will, it's pretty late in the story. Yes, Red is kind of a moron. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #3:** The crossover chapters are coming well. I'm getting some ideas in them. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #3):** This is an Amourshipping story so it probably won't happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Orioles13 (Guest #4):** You'll just have to read to find out. Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not that either. Thanks for the review!

 **Broncos18 (Guest #5):** If you want. This is an Amourshipping story so that probably won't happen. I think she is, I'm not sure. Yes, Red is nuts. No, he isn't that kind of character. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** It's great to know you liked it. That had to have been one of my top three chapters so far. Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #6):** Yes he is. Probably not. She is, she's dating Dawn. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Oh, you actually reviewed last chapter? I'm sorry for what happened when you did. Yeah, your suggestions a couple chapters ago gave me an idea of what they were going to talk about. Glad you loved the chapter! Top 5? Wow! I personally think the Amourshipping moment in the last chapter was the best one so far in this story. The Tauros slap was a parody of the "Bull Slap" game in the movie Wild Hogs. Like I said last chapter, it was an idea that was floating around in my head and I really wanted to use it. It was originally going to be a one-shot but I thought it would fit in this story better, I didn't want to leave Red out of it. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** It's great to know that you think I'm making Red more of a major character than a minor one. Oh boy! I don't want to kill you again. Gee, it's actually been a while since you've said something like that. As a matter of fact, yes, I am doing an epilogue. I have planned it from the start. HAHAHA! That kind of thing involving Red would be pretty damn funny! You'll find out what happens to Ash as you read this chapter. In my opinion, I prefer having Ash remain the main protagonist in Pokemon. I wouldn't watch it otherwise. But at least you agree with me about him still being 10. That bugs the hell out of me. Thanks for the review!

 **Cubs49 (Guest #7):** They most likely will by the end of the story. She's already dating Dawn. Maybe, I'll think about it. I'm not quite sure yet. Maybe, it could. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.**

She sat there, biting on her thumb, nervously waiting for the doctor to deliver some kind of news. All of her and Ash's friends were there, but none of them in the slightest were just as worrisome as she was. On the outside she was nervous, on the inside she was panicking. She had all the signs of nervousness: nail biting, sweating, jiggling leg; that was all happening. She was nervous to the extent were she was barely breathing but didn't really notice it. She tried to stop her leg from jiggling but it was no use. She let out a quiet moan that only she was able to hear, due to her mouth being closed.

Dawn, who was sitting right next to her, had made numerous peeks at her, checking to see if she was okay. She knew that Serena was anything but okay. Dawn was so close to Ash that she considered him a brother, but Serena was obviously the closest to him, despite not knowing him as long. Dawn put a comforting hand on Serena's right shoulder, hoping this would ease her pain a little.

"How you holding up?"

Serena took her thumb out from the tip of her lips and looked at Dawn. "I- I- I- I'm just really scared. What if Ash is in critical condition? What if he's paralyzed? I- I- just don't know right now."

"Come on, Serena, be strong. Ash would want you to be."

"I know he would want me to be."

Dawn looked Serena straight in the eye. "Serena, I want you to be strong for him. Have high hopes that he'll pull through. We all know Ash is a strong person. He's the strongest person I know, if anyone can pull through something like this, it's him."

"You're right, Dawn. I have to be strong, for Ash. I'm crossing my fingers for him." Serena commented.

"Cross more than your fingers, cross everything you've got." Dawn added.

Serena then crossed her index and middle fingers in both her hands. But for some reason, that didn't feel like enough. She needed something else to show hope for him. But what? She had a feeling that something was going to come along. She just knew it.

She worried for the worst, but she hoped for the best. Ash would pull through, just you wait.

 **14 hours earlier**

Ash had just arrived at school and was sorting through his locker. Finals were coming up and he needed to work extra hard to ace them so he could graduate. And believe him, all of his friends were just as pressured as he was for this. He was currently looking through his locker for all the notes for the subjects the finals focused on, he had found one but was looking for the rest. He was just looking for four at the moment, as he just wanted the ones for the first four classes.

"Now where are those notes for science that I had?" He said to himself as he scrounged through his locker. The notes he had written for science just a couple days ago were somewhere in his locker but he was yet to find them. He found a set of notes, but those were for math, which was one of the final two classes he would need later that day. He found a set a few seconds later which turned out to be the science notes he needed. He placed the stapled pieces of paper into his binder and closed his locker. Clemont came running up to him, apparently excited for something.

"Hey Ash, ready to prepare for finals?"

Ash sighed. "Only you would be hyped up for finals, Clemont."

"Why not? Extends my knowledge. Who wouldn't be excited?"

Ash looked up into the corner. "That would be pretty much everybody."

Clemont rubbed the back of his head, knowing how most students felt about school. "Yeah, I guess I kind of walked into that one, didn't I?"

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, but it's no biggie."

"The way you could look at it is that finals are basically the last hurdle before you graduate." Clemont stated.

"Yep. That is one way you could look at it." Ash commented.

"Yeah, I know that most students hate school and don't look forward to finals because it's the last important thing you have to succeed at in order to graduate, but once you get past it there's pretty much nothing else you have to do until the final day." Clemont explained.

"That's true. Are you prepared?" Ash asked.

"More than ever. But a little more studying wouldn't hurt."

"You're right about that. I've got to get more in myself. Finals are in a week so I've got that long to get more studying in."

"Just to think, there are only a few weeks of school left. After that, we're going to be graduated and off doing our summer activities year round." Clemont stated.

"Yep. I will be off travelling another region trying to conquer a league and our friends will be off doing their own thing." Ash added.

"Yeah, I will be back in Kalos tending to the gym in Lumiose City. My dad for sure is going to put me through some tough training to become a better gym leader. He even considered moving over there so we don't have to worry about going back and forth between here and there." Clemont explained.

"Aw man, you're moving over there?" Ash asked.

"Well, it's not definite yet. My dad's thinking over it, but most likely it will be us staying here, although it isn't much more than going."

"I hope you stay here. Once I'm done with a journey, I could come back here and visit you before I take off on another one."

"Yeah, I want to stay here as well, even Bonnie wants to stay here. She's gotten so used to knowing you and the others that she'd hate to be separated from everybody." Clemont stated.

"I'm hoping high that you'll stay. You should convince your dad to stay here in Kanto."

"Well, Bonnie and I have been doing our best to convince him. Some things haven't worked, but some have. I guess it's a slight margin we'll stay here. He'll make the decision once I graduate, he told me that a few days ago." Clemont explained.

"Well, you can just hope for the best I guess."

"I would assume so."

The next few hours of the school day went by, unlike the rest of the year. Everybody was hoping the last few weeks went fast. The Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors envied the Seniors. Once the Seniors were done taking finals, they only had a few days left and they were pretty much going to do nothing in their final days. Why would they need to? If all their work was done, why would they do a little bit of unnecessary learning in their last two to three days? It would be pointless.

Lunchtime came around and that meant time for everyone to sit back and relax for forty minutes. Some did other things, like catch up on some schoolwork. Ash himself was going outside to study a little bit more for finals. He hadn't really been collecting all the vital information he needed in order to succeed the finals, so he thought he'd grab a quick snack and head out behind the lunchroom and at least get a few minutes of studying in.

Once he sat down at a table that was unoccupied, he opened his binder and flipped the pages to what he wanted to focus on first. He took off his gloves and hat just for the sake of it. He laid his eyes on what info he had written down over the last month and tried to get as much of it in his mind as he could.

"Man, school's even taking a toll on ME." He said to himself. He had considered going to the nursery to get Pikachu and get him out for this time, but he would basically be studying the whole time and Pikachu would be bored out of his mind. He wouldn't really be able to talk to the little guy because he had a feeling if he did, he would lose track of what he was studying and his train of thought and he wouldn't remember what he was trying to learn.

As a few minutes passed, Ash was starting to feel a little warm and took off his jacket to cool down. Luckily he didn't forget what information he was reading and continued where he left off. Meanwhile, one of the others had went to look for him as he wasn't at the table with them which was a rare occasion. Brock had been looking for him for a couple minutes as he himself wasn't that hungry. He had spotted Ash sitting all alone at the table and walked up to him. Ash heard his footsteps and knew that one of his friends was approaching him. He read over the line he was currently on a few more times so it wouldn't escape his mind when Brock started talking to him. Brock walked in front of him, catching his attention. Ash looked up to Brock there. Ash needed to study for a few more minutes but he didn't want Brock's search for him be a waste, so he scooted his binder to the side a little bit and looked up at Brock, placing his arms on top of each other.

"Hey Brock, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Actually, that's what I was wondering. Why are you out here?"

"I'm just studying for finals. I need to get some in. I don't want to end up failing finals and having to go through my Senior year again while all you guys are off during your own thing throughout the year." Ash explained.

"I see. How nervous are you about this?"

"Very. I'm pretty sure you guys are as well. But I'm beyond nervous. So much there isn't a word to describe it."

"Well, to be honest Ash, I'm just as nervous as you are." Brock stated.

"Why you? You're one of the smartest out of all of us."

"Even the smartest people get nervous for tests. Even when they are confident, they have the slightest amount of stress that something will go wrong." Brock explained, trying to tell Ash a point.

"That's definite. I'm pretty sure Clemont is even nervous."

"He probably is, but nowhere near the rest of us. Clemont in my opinion is the smartest one out of all of us, but even when he gets faced with a test, there's no doubt even he feels the littlest bit nervous. It happens to everybody, so don't feel like you're being left out." Brock explained.

"Thanks for the advice, Brock. I think I'm finished for now but I will do some more when I get home." Ash said.

"All right. Keep your word of it."

Meanwhile, Serena had been looking for Ash as well. He hadn't shown up at the table which wasn't something he did on a regular basis. It was strange. She had been searching for the past few minutes, but she hadn't checked out back in the courtyard yet so she looked there next. And wouldn't you know it, she found him there talking to Brock. She wondered why he was out here by himself, even though she probably had a good guess. She knew he hadn't been talking to Brock the whole time because Brock was with her and the others about ten minutes ago and went to search for the guy. She approached the two who were still conversing.

"What're you guys talking about?" She asked, making the two shiver in surprise to her calling out to them. When they saw her, they breathed a sigh of relief, as it was only her.

"Just talking about finals is all. How long have you been looking for us?" Ash asked.

"I was just looking for you, really. Nothing against you Brock." She answered. Brock held up his hand, showing her that he wasn't hurt by her only purpose to find Ash.

"You're talking about that, huh? I guess everybody who is a Senior is really talking about that. It doesn't surprise me that you guys are."

"I've heard you and some of the others talking about it recently, so I see why you said that." Brock remarked.

"I'm pretty sure that just like you guys that you're just itching to get them out of the way. It's just the last hurdle before graduation." She stated.

"That's exactly what Clemont said." Ash stated.

"I heard my name." Clemont said, walking up to the three of them.

"Yeah, just what you said to me earlier."

"I'm glad the year is almost over. Despite the fact that I like learning new things, it will be good to relax afterwards and that I will only have to focus on becoming a better gym leader." Clemont explained.

"Yeah, that's why everyone likes summer." Brock stated.

"It's just that time of year where you don't have to really worry about much. When we're in school, we don't have to worry about what goes on during the summer." Brock stated.

"Yeah. Whatever happens to us during the summer usually doesn't happen to us when school is going on. It's just a lucky break for us I guess." Ash added.

"Yep. Thankfully." Clemont said.

But all of a sudden, there was a loud explosion from outside, catching every student's attention. Everyone that was in the commons ran out to the back schoolyard. What was going on was nothing you'd expect in this kind of scenery: Two wild Pokemon were attacking each other a little ways at the end of the schoolyard. The two Pokemon were an Alakazam and a Electabuzz. Everyone was surprised. Why was this happening here?

"I stand corrected." Brock said.

"Well, we can't just sit here and let it happen. I'm going to get Pikachu." Ash said and ran off towards the school nursery, Brock, Clemont, and Dawn went and did the same. Within a couple minutes they had returned with their Pokemon. Brock, Clemont, and Dawn had released their Pokemon and had them start attacking the two Pokemon. Even others, including Trip and Paul, had gotten Pokemon to stop the charade. Some others stood back and watched. Seeing the attacks come towards them, the Alakazam and Electabuzz dodged out of the way and started firing at the Pokemon from the students.

"Come on, Pikachu, don't let up. Hit Alakazam with volt tackle." Ash commanded.

Pikachu started charging towards the Alakazam, lighting up with electricity as he ran. Alakazam attempted to get out of the way but Pikachu was too quick for him and Pikachu rammed into him with a big hit. Pikachu flew in the air and landed on all fours near Ash, ready to initiate another attack.

Alakazam was furious after the hit. Not wanting to get hit again, started charging a Psybeam. Ash thought this would be the perfect time to hit it with another attack.

"Okay Pikachu, use volt tackle again."

Pikachu once again ran at the Alakazam. Alakazam had already charged up it's psybeam and fired it at Pikachu. Pikachu leaped in the air as he got close, just in time to dodge the psybeam.

But then it went straight past Pikachu, right at Ash. And the beam was coming fast. Ash tried to jump out of the way…

But didn't do it in time. The psybeam hit him in the legs and he was propelled backwards quickly. Once he hit a wall and coming to an abrupt halt, many of his friends ran up to him, apparently freaked out by what just happened. The Alakazam and Electabuzz fled the scene, having seen what they caused. Serena went down on her knees in front of him, now scared. Ash's eyes were squinting and he was gritting his teeth, now that he was in excruciating pain.

"Ash, how… how bad is it?" She asked, now in a panicked state. Ash tried so bad to answer, but the pain was so bad, only mere grunts came out of his mouth. But he was able to emit something that was clear enough for Serena to understand.

"Get… get… get… help!" He said between grunts and then fell into a state of unconsciousness. Serena gasped and tried to shake him awake, to no avail. Brock had to pry her hands off of Ash.

"Serena, that's not going to help. We need to get Ash some help. Someone go get the nurse." Brock ordered and May went to get the nurse. Serena went down and hugged Ash, tears starting to form in her eyes. She was scared that the worst just happened to him.

But thing was, did it?

 **Back to present time**

Serena had grabbed each of her arms with the other. Replaying that moment in her mind made her even more worried than she already was. She was afraid to no end. Delia had just made her way here, Dawn having called her half an hour earlier.

"How is he? Is he okay?"

"We don't know yet. But he hasn't been awake since he got hit." Serena responded.

"How bad did he get hit?"

"Pretty bad. The hit was dead on." Dawn stated.

"Oh, my baby boy. Why did this happen to him?" Delia said, sobbing into her hands. The doctor then came out, looking like he was going to give the news, catching everyone's attention. Delia lifted her head from her hands.

"So how is he doc?" She asked.

"Well, what I can say is, the hit wasn't bad enough to kill him, just to make him unconscious, so he should be fine. But I don't know exactly when he will be conscious again, it could be a day or two until he does." The doctor explained.

"A day or two? What do you mean?" Delia asked, panicking.

"It was a severe hit. We've got no response from him. But he might spring back awake over the weekend. That's the best I can say."

"Okay, thanks doc." Serena replied and the doctor went back to his office.

She went to sit back down in her seat. At least that part was out of the way. Ash would be fine. But the worst was that he probably wouldn't respond to any communications until late in the weekend or later. Delia still had tears in her eyes and sat down next to her. Serena began to tremble. This was terrible. Ash was unconscious and had no sign of waking up soon. The only thing she could do was hope.

"Ash, please wake up soon."

 **Author's note:** That was definitely a devastating turn of events. I mean, we've seen Ash get into situations like this before and survive, but will he pull through this one? Oh boy I hope so. But it will take a miracle for him to do so. As the story winds down, what will occur in the final chapters? In the next? In the final? We'll see in the next two weeks. As you go through many thoughts of what could happen, let's get to the preview. And a little warning, this will pretty much be the final preview, as the final chapter will be the epilogue and we really don't need a preview for the epilogue in the next chapter. Here you go.

It was now 11:00 pm and everyone except Serena had fallen asleep. Ash had been out for two days now and had not even regained consciousness once. She felt that Ash was going to take ages to get out of this, but she would be by his side until he awoke, no matter how long it took. She wouldn't care if she missed school because of this. She wouldn't care if she missed finals. She wanted to be there when he opened his eyes. If he missed finals, she would too, because if he wouldn't pass Senior year, then she wouldn't. She didn't want to leave him out.

As soon as everyone had fallen asleep, she took the blanket off of herself and placed it on the seat as she stood up. She walked into his room and checked on him again. Still unconscious as she thought. As he lay there, in his current state, she rubbed the top of his head once again as she waited for the moment he'd respond to her words. She kissed the tips of her fingers and placed her hand on his forehead. His forehead felt warm. At least he wasn't suffering anything other than what he had now, at least she hoped.

She sat down in the chair next to his bed and grabbed his idle hand that was barely staying up on the bed. She then felt his wrist to check if his pulse was still beating. Luckily it was so he wasn't going to be leaving her anytime soon. She knew that but wanted to make sure. She wanted to feel like he was going to wake up soon, any moment now, but at the same time, a heartbeat could mean anything. Even the doctors couldn't determine when he would exactly wake up.

After spending a few minutes by his bedside, she went outside his room to the wide open space where the large window that had a view that would make you see the whole city. They were about halfway up the hospital so she had a pretty good view. But a view like this wouldn't cheer her up this time, but at least make her feel a little better, but not completely. She looked at the dark night sky and all the stars that occupied it. She really wanted a shooting star to come by at this time but what were the odds? There were still so many stars in the night. The hospital was very quiet as it was late and the visitors were either back home or here asleep, and the employees were home as well or catching up on some late night work.

She continued looking on into the night sky and all it's bright lights. She thought she would do this now rather than wait. She looked for the brightest star she could find and closed her eyes.

"I hope Ash is fine and that he will see the light of day again." She thought to herself.

After that, she opened her eyes and walked back to fetch her blanket and went back into Ash's room and covered herself with the blanket. She took one last glance at him before falling asleep.

 **Author's note:** I'm with Serena on this one, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that Ash will wake up soon and see everybody once again, showing that he is all right. Okay, once again, I'm the writer, I already know what is going to happen. But I'm trying to build suspense and drama which is necessary for this particular moment. Everyone get your hopes up, but not too high. Prepare your tissues and wait for the next installment to come along. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **Nobody makes my brother enjoy bathing and gets away with it!**

 **-Norbert, The Angry Beavers, Episode Lumberjacks Delight**


	14. No One Fits Me (Better Than You)

**TDBigJ's message:** *Head in hand, sleeping* *Awakes with a jolt* Wha? Whoa! Wha? Sorry about that guys, my week's been kind of busy. Yeah, I know, you were expecting me to say: "Another uneventful week." Yeah, actually, this week's been different. At the beginning of the week, I applied for two jobs and today, I had to meet with my job coach at 9:30 in the morning and had a job interview this afternoon so yeah, it's been a hectic week for me. I plan on applying for more jobs in the next week so I will be pretty busy when the final chapter rolls around. And a little thing that I thought was going to be doing with the final chapter will actually not be happening (Don't worry, it has nothing to do with the plot of the chapter). I was actually going to be releasing it a day early because there is something my family and I are doing next weekend and I thought we were going to be leaving Friday morning but I found out earlier that we are actually leaving next Saturday morning, so I will be releasing it on time next week. I bet you guys would like a chapter a day early but looks like it will be the usual time. Anyway let's get to the responding of reviews for the final time this story. It's so hard to say goodbye to this story, but that's what happens when you write for some time. Well, here you go.

 **49ers (Guest #1):** Read on and you'll see. No, she won't, don't worry. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** I bet the finals are awesome right now. I'm happy Sasha is women's champion and Finn Balor I've been wanting to see for a while. Sorry if I played with your heart. Glad you liked the chapter. Your story is ending soon too? That's a coincidence. Thanks for the review!

 **Bryce (Guest #2):** Let's hope so. The only help they can give him right now is hope and faith, let's do both and see if he gets well. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Let's hope he will be okay. They will most likely graduate and she most likely won't leave Dawn, it wouldn't be right. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #3):** I probably won't go that far into the future, but I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #4:** I was planning to post the crossover fic within a week or two after this story ends, so in the next two to three weeks, I hope that's not too long for you. Thanks for the continued support. Thanks for the review!

 **Klay (Guest #5):** Probably not but he will make an appearance in this chapter. Maybe not. Read on and see, but do you think it will be any other way? Like above, the best they can do is hope and have faith. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, I had this part of the plot for some time now and I felt like the last few chapters needed some drama as the last story did. We'll see if Ash wakes up in time. Let's hope so. Yeah it does make them seem like a strong couple, doesn't it? I know, only two chapters left? I'm hurting myself. I haven't really caught up with the anime but I'm working on it. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Let's all hope for Ash making it, and everyone making it through their finals. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** I'm surprised that you liked the chapter. Seeing as you described it as a dark twist and you like dark twists. Luckily this isn't a dark fic, I don't think I could write one of those. I don't really want to disappoint you and make you lose respect for this fic. But don't worry, Ash won't be perfectly fine 100%. As you said that's a fairy tale type ending and I don't want that. It would be too cliché for something like that to happen. Ash's injuries will actually be described in this chapter and furthermore. So I hope that when you find out what his injuries are, you won't be disappointed. I'm not sure if you want Ash alive or not, but based on the kind of writer I am, which way do you think I will heading? Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

A day had passed, and Ash still hadn't woken up. Serena was really beginning to grow worried. She feared that he was going to take a while to get out of this state he was in. All of his friends had differing levels of sadness. It was really starting to get bad. Serena thought when would Ash get out of this? How much longer would it be? She really wanted these questions to be answered soon, because she didn't know how much more of this she could take, plus the others, they couldn't go through more either.

Last night, she was the only one who stayed by his side throughout the night. The rest of his friends, Delia, and Grace had gone home at different times last night. Delia wanted to stay but trusted Serena that she would keep an eye on Ash and make sure to call her if he had awakened during the night. She had spent the whole night sitting in the chair next to Ash's bed with a blanket wrapped around her to keep her warm. Pikachu had stayed next to Ash on his left side just so he could be close to Ash's heartbeat and have a faint sound of it near his ears. Every time she woke up from her sleep which was only about a couple of times during the night, she looked at Ash, still in his forced slumber. That was some serious psybeam that hit him. She didn't think that what had happened would cause him to be like this. He had been hit by many Pokemon attacks before this and only got off with as much as a sprained ankle and/or wrist. Why was it now that he went into a micro coma? Maybe psychic attacks have a whole bunch of power. Who knows? Maybe only the experts would know, that's for sure.

It was Saturday night, 9:30 to be exact. A few of Ash's friends had gone home but most were still there. She had gone out of the room to see who had stayed. Dawn, Ally, Brock, Clemont were just a few that were still here, but the likes of May, Shauna, and Barry had gone home. The ones that went home had either something to do or had been told by one of their parents to stay as long as they wanted but to be home at a reasonable time. The people that were the closest to Ash were willing to stay until at least between eleven and midnight just so they could get a little studying in before they had to turn in.

The ones that had a strong friendship with Ash were the ones hoping for his recovery the most. Dawn, considering Ash a brother after their travels in Sinnoh despite their bickering at some times, didn't want to leave Ash's side either. Brock, Ash's most loyal travelling companion having travelled with him in five regions, couldn't stay away from who was perhaps his best friend. Brock wished that he could tell how soon it would be until Ash woke up. He was a doctor but he was a doctor for Pokemon, so he really couldn't tell on a human. He was hit by this the hardest behind Serena. He's known Ash longer than anyone here, with the exception of Misty, and he couldn't stand the thought of him either gone or injured to the extent of being paralyzed.

Pikachu was hurt from this as well. His best friend ever was in a terrible state and he couldn't help but feel like this was his fault. If he hadn't leapt up in the air to hit Alakazam with a volt tackle, Ash wouldn't be in this state. Pikachu spent the whole night by Ash on his bedside. It would bring Ash joy if he saw him by his side like he always has been. If only his other Pokemon were here, they'd be by his side all over the room as well in support of their unresponsive trainer.

All of Ash's friends had gone up to his bed to be there for him. Only a few were given permission to even lay a hand on him. The doctor didn't want Ash to suffer any further injury or interrupt the state he was in by excessive touch on him, especially his injured parts.

The impact of the psybeam and him hitting a brick wall had left Ash with a few cracked ribs, a pulled hamstring, bruises on his torso, arms, and legs, and the reason why he was unconscious, was that he could have suffered a severe concussion. It wasn't confirmed but the doctors said it was most likely due to that. The doctor also said Ash was lucky that the cracked ribs he suffered weren't bent far back enough to puncture his lungs. The hit had to have been at least ten times harder in order for him to lose air. The possible severe concussion that he had gotten would cause his vision to be a little blurry by the time he awoke.

A couple hours had passed and most of the rest of the others had made their way home. Only Dawn and Brock had remained, but even themselves were getting tired. They thought that they would get home now and get to bed before they fell asleep here and their parents would jump their case in the morning of where they were all night. So they went into Ash's room and told Serena they were heading home and goodnight. Once they left, Serena grabbed the blanket that was given to her the previous night and wrapped it around herself. Pikachu was on the seat next to the windowsill looking out at the blue and sparkle lit sky. He wished Buneary had stayed but she had to head home with Dawn, so he was only kept company by Serena at this time. Serena had motioned her hand to have Pikachu come over and lay on her lap. The yellow mouse bounced down onto the floor and trotted his way over to Serena and jumped up into her lap. She started petting the electric rodent's head with a slight smile.

"You're just as saddened by this as me, aren't you Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded his head. "Pika."

"I'm just crossing my fingers for him. It could be days, weeks until he wakes up. He'll probably miss graduation and the start of his new journey." She looked down at him and gave him a quick kiss on the top of the head.

"Don't worry, Pikachu. Ash will pull out of this, I know he will, and you do too, right?"

"Pika pi!"

"Let's just hope it's tomorrow, but for now, let's get some sleep. I'm getting pretty tired." She said and closed her eyes and Pikachu did as well. They drifted off to sleep, hoping for the best tomorrow.

It was noon the next day and every single one of Ash's friends had come back to visit him. They had done little studying for finals the last few days. The doctor had told them they were done checking up on Ash and that they could see him. Everyone went into the room and saw how Ash was doing. He was still unconscious. The white bandage that surrounded his upper torso and his left shoulder looked like it was pressed on. The doctor must have checked there.

"Any signs of improvement doc?" Max asked.

"Not really. He's still about the same as he was yesterday. We still can't tell when exactly he will wake up, but I reckon it won't be too much longer, that much I know." The doctor explained and left the room.

Every single person in the room reminisced the times they had with Ash. Dawn remembered how they would always high five to congratulate each other, May remembered the half ribbon she split with Ash in the final contest in Kanto, Barry remembered all the times he said he would fine Ash, and regretted it, Brock remembered all the times he battled alongside Ash and the gym battle they had years ago, Max remembered the promise Ash made at the end of their journey in Kanto: the promise that they will have a battle once Max started his journey, and Clemont remembered the explosive gym battle they had a couple summers back. All of them remembered the one thing that Ash did a lot with them. They all had faith that Ash was going to wake up soon, there was no doubting it.

But then one person who everyone thought would be the last person to come and see Ash, had come to see him: Paul.

"What are you doing here Paul?" Dawn asked.

"Just thought I'd pop in." Paul answered.

"There's got to be a better reason than that Paul. You hate Ash. Why would you come here to see him?" Dawn asked.

"I may have always called Ash pathetic, but that doesn't mean I want him dead or see him dead. I'm not that kind of person." Paul explained. "I wouldn't wish that on him or anybody."

Brock, Dawn, or Barry never thought they would see this from a guy like Paul. What happened to Paul? He was a little different than his usual self.

"Gee Paul, I never thought I'd see you like that." Brock stated.

"I guess you really do have a heart." Dawn commented.

"Maybe." Paul added. He walked up to Ash's bedside and looked at him. Paul never thought he'd see Ash in a situation like this. Paul may have always shown resentment towards Ash and his training methods, but he didn't expect to ever see Ash in this state. On the inside, Paul felt something. He wasn't quite sure what it was. Something he would never really feel or show, especially towards his biggest rival. But maybe, just maybe, he was having a change of heart.

"What do you feel Paul? Anything at all?" Barry asked.

Paul closed his eyes and leaned his head downwards. "Regret."

Everyone present suddenly got confused. "One more time." May said.

"Regret. That's what I'm feeling." Paul replied.

Now seeing was believing. Paul actually had admitted that he regretted what he had said about Ash before. It wasn't something he ever thought he'd feel or say, but he did.

"Maybe even a little bit I have some remorse for the way I've treated Ketchum for the last few years. Seeing him like this, it just makes me see him in a different light. Even though he's my rival, I want him to get better. Besides, who else would push me harder to win a battle?"

He opened his eyes and looked at Ash. He was about to leave but had one thing to say before he did. "Get well Ash. See you in Alola."

After that, Paul turned around and made his way out of the room, but he stopped when he reached the doorway. "See you there too, Serena." And he left the room. Serena was caught a little off guard there. Paul said he would anticipate when he saw the couple in the upcoming summer journey.

It was now 11:00 pm and everyone except Serena had fallen asleep. Ash had been out for two days now and had not even regained consciousness once. She felt that Ash was going to take ages to get out of this, but she would be by his side until he awoke, no matter how long it took. She wouldn't care if she missed school because of this. She wouldn't care if she missed finals. She wanted to be there when he opened his eyes. If he missed finals, she would too, because if he wouldn't pass Senior year, then she wouldn't. She didn't want to leave him out.

As soon as everyone had fallen asleep, she took the blanket off of herself and placed it on the seat as she stood up. She walked into his room and checked on him again. Still unconscious as she thought. As he lay there, in his current state, she rubbed the top of his head once again as she waited for the moment he'd respond to her words. She kissed the tips of her fingers and placed her hand on his forehead. His forehead felt warm. At least he wasn't suffering anything other than what he had now, at least she hoped.

She sat down in the chair next to his bed and grabbed his idle hand that was barely staying up on the bed. She then felt his wrist to check if his pulse was still beating. Luckily it was so he wasn't going to be leaving her anytime soon. She knew that but wanted to make sure. She wanted to feel like he was going to wake up soon, any moment now, but at the same time, a heartbeat could mean anything. Even the doctors couldn't determine when he would exactly wake up.

After spending a few minutes by his bedside, she went outside his room to the wide open space where the large window that had a view that would make you see the whole city. They were about halfway up the hospital so she had a pretty good view. But a view like this wouldn't cheer her up this time, but at least make her feel a little better, but not completely. She looked at the dark night sky and all the stars that occupied it. She really wanted a shooting star to come by at this time but what were the odds? There were still so many stars in the night. The hospital was very quiet as it was late and the visitors were either back home or here asleep, and the employees were home as well or catching up on some late night work.

She continued looking on into the night sky and all it's bright lights. She thought she would do this now rather than wait. She looked for the brightest star she could find and closed her eyes.

"I hope Ash is fine and that he will see the light of day again." She thought to herself.

After that, she opened her eyes and walked back to fetch her blanket and went back into Ash's room and covered herself with the blanket. She took one last glance at him before falling asleep.

The following day Ash continued to stay the way he was, much to the disappointment of his friends. He didn't even flinch once when someone was present in the room. His heart was still beating, he was lightly breathing, showing signs that he was still there.

After much waiting that day everyone had left again when it became dark out, leaving Serena and Pikachu by their lonesome. Serena had been in the room all day like she had been. She exited the room and went back out to the wide open space outside his room that she was in last night. She looked outside to see the usual nighttime skyline.

Serena had closed her eyes after looking at the night sky. The wish she made last night was something she would hope would come true soon. She would be there until Ash had his first breath back into consciousness. She waited for every waking moment until he did.

All the moments she had with Ash in the last year and a half replayed in her mind. Every single one of them. She cherished them all. The bad times. The good times. Whenever she was there for him, he was there for her. Their friendship slowly blossomed into something more within only a mere few months. She hoped that it would last the rest of her life. She just needed to wait… for him.

But within a few moments she felt something warm wrap around her stomach. It felt like someone's arm, but whose? She also felt someone's chin lay on top of her shoulder, but again, whose? She opened her eyes and slowly moved her head to the right. When she saw who it was, she gasped and was taken by surprise.

"What? No "hey you're awake?"

"ASH!" She shouted and slammed into him with a hug, causing Ash to grunt due to the pain.

"Hey, hey, easy. I've got cracked ribs here." Ash said, squinting his eyes shut. Serena immediately realized the pain he was in and let go.

"Sorry about that. I almost forgot you had injuries."

"It's cool."

Serena placed her hands on her cheeks. "Oh my, I can't believe you're finally awake."

"Yep. Doctor said I was out for two days. Two days of hell if you ask me." Ash commented.

"It may have been for you, but it has been as well for me. I've been hurting since the moment you went unconscious, sitting by your side every second until you woke up." Serena explained.

"Do you literally mean every second?"

"Literally."

"Wow, I'm surprised you could hold out. That cheers me up a bit."

"Not just me, Pikachu did as well." She said, picking up Pikachu and holding him in her arms. Ash smiled at his best pal and slowly reached out and stroked his head.

"Thanks a lot, buddy."

The three of them then looked out at the night sky, admiring the beauty of the midnight blue, glimmering lit horizon. All of a sudden, a shooting star shot across the sky.

"Look a shooting star. Make a wish." Ash stated, seeing the light of the shooting star, despite his blurred vision.

Serena leaned her head on Ash's good shoulder. "Don't need to. It was a little late." She lifted her head up and pecked Ash on the cheek and put her head back on his shoulder. The two plus Pikachu returned their gaze to the outside. Serena and Pikachu were happy that their future Pokemon master awoke, and Ash was happy that he finally got to see the light of day again, even if it was nighttime.

Things were all right again. And the two of their bonds had strengthened just over a two days time, all it took was a little hope and strength to make it happen.

Now all they could do was see what the future had in store for them.

 **Author's note:** Well how about that? Our hero has awoken from his unconscious state alive and well. Like Ash said, not 100%, but he'll live. I wouldn't kill Ash off. I would have no idea how I would write the final chapter of this story without him in it. Never in forever would I kill Ash off in a story, that's not who I am. I'm not evil, that's Team Rocket's job. The worst I would have happen to him is severe injuries maybe a few broken bones at least but no way in hell would I kill the guy off. What did you guys think? Are you happy that Ash saw the light again? I sure am. That should just about do it. Next chapter will be the final chapter: The epilogue. And since the next chapter will be the epilogue, there won't be a preview this chapter. We really wouldn't need it would we? I will see you guys in a week for the final installment of "Love You Now, Love You Always", where we will see what the characters do during their first summer out of school. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **Stay away from the fairy dust Jerry!**

 **-Ritchie Goodman, The Benchwarmers**


	15. White Line Fever

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey guys, how you doing? Are you looking forward to this chapter? I don't know really. You guys could be or not. Seeing what happens in this final chapter but at the same time it's the final chapter so you guys are sad about that fact. It's saddening to admit it's already the final chapter. I guess writing for fifteen weeks doesn't take as long as you think it would. Since this is the final chapter, I really don't have much to say. This weekend, I'll be visiting my grandparents (from my dad's side) in a place called Lake Chelan (it's a popular place to be here in Washington during the summer or whenever it's sunny. Yeah I'll be going there to be with my grandparents for the weekend tomorrow through Monday (My grandparents on my dad's side actually don't live here in Washington. They're from here but they actually live in Arizona). What a way to start off time after finishing a story. But once I get back, I'll start writing the next story. I guess that's it. Since this is the final chapter, I won't be responding to reviews but I will give thanks after the chapter is over.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

A couple of months had passed since the end of school and the start of everyone's first year long journey. Everyone had gone on a journey with a few of their friends. Right now they had all the time in the world to accomplish their dreams. And for our aspiring Pokemon master, he was waiting patiently, preparing himself for the battle ahead. A simple breeze passed through the raven locks of Ash's hair. He had taken off his cap and ran his hand through them. He had to win this one, the Alola League depended on it.

Ever since the injury Ash had sustained from the hit of the psybeam, he had almost reached one hundred percent recovery. A few of the side effects of the injury still came over him every so often. At least once or twice a week the effects of the concussion gave him blurred vision that would occur briefly, most of the bruises had gone away but a few were still visible, his chest would have a quick, sharp pain because his cracked ribs hadn't fully healed quite yet. The only thing that healed completely was his hamstring, he hadn't felt pain in the back of his leg for a while now and he didn't really limp anymore. The doctor had told him when he left the hospital to take it easy for a month or two which Ash had fully followed. Ash didn't want to further aggravate his injuries. The doctors told him that he would be completely recovered in about two and a half to three months, so it wasn't long until Ash would feel one hundred percent again, which would be a breath of fresh air.

But if there were a few things about him that didn't get hurt by the attack, it was his fighting spirit and determination. Ash kept training every day until he would claim victory in a gym battle or any battle for that matter. His travelling companions were happy to see he was still the fearless, hard working, gutsy trainer he had always been. They were pleased that Ash never lost the kind of person he was, the personality he possessed. Ash truly was one of a kind, there wasn't a doubt in the world.

Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He kept himself from reaching out for the door that led to his next battle. Serena, Barry, and Shadow were wondering why he was waiting. Maybe he was waiting for the right moment. Ash was one of those people that didn't want to jump into something if he wasn't ready emotionally or mentally.

"Are you okay, Ash? You're hesitating a little bit." Serena mentioned.

"I need to be sure I'm one hundred percent ready for this. I mean, I win this gym battle, I'll qualify for the Alola League." Ash stated.

"Ash, don't be afraid that if you lose, you won't have another chance. The Alola League doesn't start for another month." Shadow stated.

"You're right Shadow. I shouldn't be hesitant. I should go in there with a high level of confidence." Ash exclaimed.

"Just think, the others, wherever they may be, are probably getting close to their dreams as well." Serena stated.

 **Dawn, Ally, May, and Max**

Dawn and May each were preparing for the upcoming contest that would be occurring in a couple of days. They had just got done doing a practice battle to try out their Pokemon's moves. They had worked out well and they were now sitting down conversing about what they just done.

"I think that move could work, but you need to make sure that it doesn't conceal your Pokemon." May explained.

"Yeah, I don't want that exact thing to happen to me back in Sinnoh happen to me again. I couldn't live with myself if it did." Dawn stated.

"Just make it to where they use a little less of their attack. It's not the quantity of the attack that matters, just make sure it looks good."

"What about you Ally? What are you doing at this time?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not really sure yet. I'm just making sure that my Pokemon are strong when I decide." Ally explained. "For now, I'll just root for you guys in your contests."

"I'm glad you'll do so. We could both use it."

 **Brock and Lucy**

Brock had started taking a look at Lucy's Pokemon. One of them had gotten injured during a recent battle and Brock had to make sure it was okay and not severely hurt.

"Is it okay?" Lucy asked.

"It should be fine. It wasn't too bad, but you might want to let it sit back and relax for a while to let it recover." Brock explained.

"Okay, I will. I have another battle lined up for tomorrow and I need to make sure if I could use it then." Lucy stated.

"It will be fine, just let it rest. It could take a few days but even after that, give it a little more time to make it feel one hundred percent." Brock explained.

"Thanks!" She kissed Brock on the cheek. "Glad that you're here to help."

"Me too."

 **Clemont, Shauna, and Bonnie**

The three of them had started travelling Kalos once again and since that was it, Clemont once again had to leave Clembot in charge to lead the gym.

Clemont had agreed to travel again this time with Shauna mainly because since the incident with Ash, Shauna had finally expressed her feelings towards Clemont. Since they were now a couple, Clemont couldn't say no to travelling with her, and he also promised he would let Bonnie come with him again.

Shauna was once again trying to go for the title of Kalos Queen. She already had two princess keys and needed a third. She thought that if she didn't succeed this time around, she would stay with Clemont at his gym, which was okay with his dad.

Clemont thought back at the moment he and Shauna became a couple. It was a good memory for him.

 **Flashback**

After Ash had revealed to everybody that he had awoken, they were all happy that he was awake and well. Shauna thought now would be a good time as any.

"Hey Clemont, can I talk to you for a second?" She asked, grabbing Clemont's left arm.

"Oh, sure." He replied. And Shauna had pulled him around a corner where no one would be able to see them.

"What did you want to tell me?"

And without hesitation, Shauna went up to Clemont and kissed him straight on the lips. Clemont's eyes widened in surprise and his pupils shrunk. Where did this come from? Once she pulled away, Clemont had the same look on his face, but looked directly at her.

"Wh- wh- what was that?" He asked, a little stunned.

"Clemont, I've liked you for a while now but really haven't had the courage to tell you. But after this whole thing with Ash, I feel like now was the right time." Shauna explained.

Clemont was speechless. He had no idea another girl liked him. Now that he did, he felt like something inside him changed.

"Are you okay Clemont?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… this is a lot to process."

 **Present Day**

The thing that changed inside Clemont was his maturity. Now that he had a girlfriend, he felt that he had to grow up, and it didn't bother him in the least.

"Hey Clemont, can I get your opinion on this?" Shauna called out to him.

"Yeah sure, I'll be there in a moment." He responded and stopped tinkering with his invention and got up to go see what she wanted.

 **Red**

Red had been travelling Alola, unaware to Ash and his friends. He had started training his Pokemon for his seventh gym battle.

"You guys were great out there. We can take a break and we can train again a little later today."

Red may have been the reckless, wild, unstable goofball during the school year, but when it came to travelling and doing Pokemon battles, he got serious, and his goofball antics took a seat on the bench for the time being.

Red had been going through a lot here in Alola. He won every gym battle on the first try but he only had a month to get his last two gym badges, and to complete the Alola Pokedex.

"I just hope I can get this all done soon. I'd hate to have wasted my time and not have any more for anything else." Red said to himself. He had been a totally different person. Sure, his antics came around every so often, but his training took priority, and he wanted to take things seriously out here, he had to.

He sat down and gave his Pokemon their food and started eating too himself. He had a little bit of work left to do, and only a limited amount of time left.

 **Ash's other friends**

When it came to the other friends, they had gone off and done their own thing. Ones like Cilan, Iris, and Misty had to tend to their gyms to make sure if anyone came by and challenged them. Ones like Morrison, Stephan, Cameron, and Ritchie had gone off in other regions to try and conquer the gyms and leagues wherever they went. Gary had stayed back with his grandfather to do more research for him and went off to other regions when Professor Oak wanted him to. Tracy had stayed with Professor Oak as well to keep on working with him too. He still had a lot of work to do and a lot to learn. Ash's rivals like Trip and Paul had also gone in other regions to try and conquer them. Trip went to Hoenn to challenge the gyms and the league, and Paul had been travelling Alola as well. He appeared every so often to Ash and his friends and challenged Ash, Shadow, and even Barry to battles. When he battled Ash, he was still a little arrogant but some of his attitude towards Ash changed but not to where he treated Ash with respect completely. But he did start treating Ash a little better as he was less skeptical and insulting and even once in a while gave Ash a compliment out of the blue. It wasn't often but he did when he felt like he wanted to. And the rest was to be explained at another time, just not now.

 **Back to the four**

Ash looked back on the three people that accompanied him on this journey. He thought about how and why they tagged along. Serena didn't really need an explanation because, you know why. Shadow had come along because he really enjoyed travelling with Ash last summer and the two brought out a lot in each other during that time that Ash couldn't deny Shadow from travelling with him once again. Plus, they each wanted to conquer the Alola League so what else could they do?

Barry was actually one that surprised Ash. Barry on the day of graduation asked Ash if he could travel with him on his next journey. Ash initially was surprised that one of his former rivals wanted to travel with him despite the rough times that they had back in Sinnoh, but Ash had a heart and forgave Barry for all the times Barry said he would fine him and that he would be a far better trainer in the future. Barry admitted that Ash was the better trainer, not only because Ash did way better than him in the Sinnoh League but Ash had kept on attempting the leagues in different regions after that and Barry himself didn't travel at all after Sinnoh, so Barry unselfishly confirmed who was the better trainer. But that didn't stop Barry from trying to one up Ash in a battle when the opportunity arose. Also, Barry had seven gym badges just like Ash did as well as Shadow, so he was improving as a trainer and a person. And also, he travelled with him because Ash was the one to tell Barry about Alola so Ash only felt that it should be fair. Another reason why he wanted to travel with Ash, was because he wanted Ash to teach him some new battle tactics, which Ash gladly agreed to teach him, and is why Barry had seven gym badges. Barry had set a goal for himself: When the Alola League came around, he would try and make it at least in the top 16.

When it came to Ash's badges, Ash had won nearly every badge on the first try. There was one badge where he had to battle the gym leader twice due to the fact he barely lost on the first attempt. That was one thing that happened to Ash in every region he travelled in. There would be that one gym that he needed to have a second gym battle in order to obtain the badge. In Kanto, that was necessary for each one. In Hoenn, that was Dewford. In Kalos, that was Snowbelle, just to name a few. Ash wondered how much better he would have done in Kanto if he had won ALL his gym badges legitimately. Ash thought that one day that he would go back and challenge the Kanto gyms again and win all those badges legitimately.

Back to the matter at hand. Ash was about to challenge the eighth and final gym of the Alola region. He was nervous but he always was in the past but that didn't stop him from succeeding. Ash was one that overcame nervousness and achieve his goal on a constant basis, one of his many distinct traits. Ash had learned new tactics over the course of the last three months and he felt evolved as a trainer. Sure, he still had those moments where he would stop and think for a second, but other than that, his skills developed further.

Ash then made the final call and wrapped his fingers around the knob of the gym door. This was it. A win would mean he would be in the Alola League. If he lost, he had a few weeks to try and beat it again, which would be no hassle. He took a deep breath, all his friends right behind him.

"You ready for this?" Serena asked. "No doubts at all?"

And those words that Ash followed very well and was his own creto came out of his mouth…

"Never give up until it's over."

And he turned the knob and entered the gym, ready to take on the challenge ahead.

 **Author's note:** And the fat lady is singing. Love You Now, Love You Always has officially come to a close. I hope you all liked it. Thank you for those who have been here since the start and/or have read every chapter. Those of you who reviewed, especially every chapter, thank you so much. Without your guys' feedback and support, I wouldn't have had the creative juices to work on and finish this story. There were some great chapters, good chapters, decent chapters, and some that could have been better. I really enjoyed writing this and it's so freaking hard to believe that it's already over. It feels like I've only been writing this for about a few weeks when it's really been three months. Fifteen weeks seems to fly by for me. So thank you all once again for the continued support. Now I'm far from done. There are still some things I want to say and do before I close out this story. I would tell you guys the agenda, but you guys will probably be better finding out along the way. The first I want to do, is thank those of you who have supported this story, and a few words I want to say to those of you who have read most or all chapters, put this story on your favorites list, followed it, and/or reviewed most or all chapters.

1-gave this story a favorite

2-Followed this story

3-Gave this story a favorite AND followed it

4-Reviewed every chapter

5-Gave this story a favorite, followed it, AND reviewed every chapter

 **5-Oliverqueen01-** Thanks once again for giving this story a chance and reading it since the first chapter. When you reviewed the first chapter I was surprised that an author I knew and liked was reading one of my stories. I liked your reviews and the WWE talk you gave every so often in your reviews. Good to know that someone else appreciates the WWE like I do. And thanks also for giving me updates about the anime, gave me a general idea of what happened in it without spoiling it. You gave good examples, thank you so much. Thanks for reading this story and I hope that you read my next story which will be coming out in about a month and a half. You don't have to it's just an option. Once again, thank you.

 **5-Mad Ass Dragon-** I'm so happy that you came back and read the sequel. I was happy to know that someone that read In or Out read this story. I like to apologize again for chapter 7 as you really didn't care for it. Thanks for letting me use your OC Red for this story. I hope I portrayed him well in the way you expected. I'm glad that this time around I didn't kill you with sweetness and put you in a diabetic coma. I hope you liked the story in general and that you will give my next story a chance. Just like I said to Oliverqueen01, it's an option, you don't have to if you don't want to. Again, thanks!

 **4-Brig nodrm2347-** I was very happy that you read this story after reading the first one. Reading your review every chapter put a smile on my face. And every so often, saying what chapter would be in your top 5, especially after last chapter when you said you had 6. Thanks for everything and I hope you will be here when I release my next story. Thanks also for at least trying to give me sources to watch the anime. Glad you liked the story and took time out of your day to read it. Thanks again so much!

 **3-Pokemonmeat-** Thanks for being here to read this story. Seeing as one of my most loyal readers from In or Out read this as well. Thanks for reviewing when you could and also I hope you enjoyed the story. I hope I see you in the next story.

 **5-Shadic4566-** Thanks for taking your time to read this. I hope it was as enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to write it. I hope you like the story and hope you will read any of my future stories. I hope to see you again in the future.

 **4-That one random Guest-** It was nice to know that a guest who read my last story was here for this one. I've never had a guest who was so happy to read my story than you. And regarding the crossover fic, it will be out in 1-3 weeks so not that much longer, so sit tight.

 **4-Wolves22 (Guest)**

 **4-49ers (Guest)**

 **4-Pelicans23 (Guest)**

 **3-Alola Amourshipping**

 **3-AmourNinfia**

 **3-AnAnonymousPerson69**

 **3-AnimeMasterDub**

 **2-Anonymous2017**

 **3-Bgmey**

 **3-Dazzling-Moonblast**

 **3-Eccentric Enigmatic Daisy**

 **3-Elecadows**

 **3-FantasyLover88**

 **3-Frostburn243**

 **2-Jmtx100**

 **2-LastAngelSlayer92**

 **2-LazyGuy23**

 **3-Mabs1235**

 **3-Mixt Number XV**

 **2-NaLulover234**

 **2-Nexxus176**

 **3-PLEON**

 **2-ProDeniz**

 **3-RougeClyde**

 **3-TheSilverScrub**

 **2-Yankees4Life**

 **3-andresdsalmong**

 **2-blizzard21**

 **5-espeon44-** Thanks again for reading this story. Good to know that you gave this story a try. I'm glad to be a part of your community.

 **3-fireflyval**

 **2-laurinaaa**

 **3-microwavesuicune**

 **3-migueleto10**

 **3-mmoralest80**

 **2-nqchen96**

 **3-pcc6289**

 **2-potat losaro**

 **3-smakwaffle**

 **2-sn7**

 **2-therainster85**

 **2-zachlor16**

 **1-Blazerz**

 **1-Chaobaby95**

 **1-I love reading 123453**

 **1-RyanDouglass322**

 **1-antheys17**

 **1-kyuubiFF**

 **1-pokemonloverr**

Now that that's set aside, time for my next order of business. Just like after In or Out and before this story, I took a seven week break between stories, and that would be my plan from now on. Whenever I finish a ten plus chapter story, I will take a maximum of seven weeks off to work on my other stories and like before I won't be releasing any stories, not even one-shots during my break. There is one crossover fic that was requested by a guest that I am working on and will be releasing within the next couple of weeks, that's about it. That will be a side project. But just because I won't be releasing any other work other than that DOESN'T mean I am not willing to take requests during that time. But for the meantime, since I will be working on two multi-chapter fics simultaneously (which will be a challenge for me), I will only be taking request for one-shots. Below are things I would be willing to make a story off of and some that I would not. But first, let's focus on the ones I would. They will include anything, from pairings to themes.

 **Pairings I would write for (Besides Amourshipping)**

Pokeshipping-I'm not really crazy about this pairing but it is a popular one in the Pokemon universe, so if you want me to make a one-shot about this pairing, I'd be more than willing to.

Advanceshipping-This happens to be my third or fourth favorite pairing in Pokemon. I like how Ash and May are almost the same person. So if you want a one-shot about this, send me a request.

Pearlshipping-This is my second favorite pairing in Pokemon, and it's obviously a popular pairing so I'd be all for it in making a one-shot about this pairing.

Abilityshipping-This pairing I wouldn't mind writing a one-shot for. It's a pairing that I could ship but I'm not sure yet, but that doesn't mean I won't write a story for it.

Negaishipping-I'm not too crazy about this pairing and I'm pretty sure there aren't very many people who ship this pairing, but for those of you who do support this pairing, shoot one to me.

Pokemon x Pokemon-This kind of story would be tricky for me but I always like a good challenge and if you're one of those people that thinks a certain Pokemon x Pokemon pairing is cool, then throw an idea for me.

 **Pairings or topics I would absolutely NOT write a story for under any circumstances**

Geekchicshipping-I EXTREMELY despise this pairing. I love both Serena and Clemont as characters but absolutely I dread the idea of them as a couple. The only pairing involving Serena that I ship is, what else? Amourshipping. So don't come to me with a story request for this pairing.

Yaoi or Yuri: I just can't see myself writing about a homosexual couple, whether it's two guys or two girls. I was able to write one for this story and the last but that couple wasn't the main pairing so I was okay with that. BUT I was only going to do that with these two stories. I'm not a homophobe in any way but I couldn't write a story about a gay or lesbian couple. It'd make me too uncomfortable. So none of these please.

Lemon: I couldn't find myself to write anything about this subject either. I don't think I would be comfortable at all writing a sex story, especially for Amourshipping. So please, no lemon requests.

Any combination of the last two: Okay, definitely, absolutely, don't EVER come to me asking me to make a yaoi or yuri lemon. I couldn't get past one paragraph, let alone one sentence if I were to do so. I'd rather stick myself to a lemon juice covered cactus than do this. So I'm just warning you now, don't ask me to make such a thing.

Human x Pokemon: Okay, really? Who would think this is a good idea? Why are there people who are comfortable with writing this? I'm not one of those people. This idea could be regarded as bestiality, which in no way do I approve of. So here is my response if you requested me to write something like this: Not a chance in hell!

Ash betrayal stories: I honestly think this idea is overused and I also don't like it in general. There are WAY too many of these on fanfiction and they are still being made. I don't want to write one of these and someone says that it's overused and not original. Besides, I couldn't imagine any of Ash's friends and/or Pokemon turning against him, I hate the thought of it. There are some where a few stand by him that I'm fine with, but that doesn't increase my chances of writing one of these. I want to use original ideas, like ones that I can come up with on my own that have rarely or not really at all been used. So no betrayal fics please, it's not my forte.

So look on these before you make a request. Along with the ones that I would write for, I would write about any other pairing as long as I've heard about the pairing and/or characters. Please run by me what the pairing or theme is and shoot me a request. But look at the ones I would not write for as well, read over them carefully, as if you give me a request about one of those, I'll have to deny it, and I'm a guy that hates to deny requests. So read this a few times over before you finish the story so you have a general idea of what I will and will not write a story and you can make me a request.

Okay, one last thing. Seeing as how I've got to be working on my next story for the next seven weeks, you guys are probably wondering what it is. For those of you who read the end of the final chapter of In or Out and voted on or was aware of the poll before this story came out, you would know what I'm talking about. The next story you guys will be seeing from me will be called "Against All Odds". The story features an adult Ash and Serena (26 years old to be exact). In the story, Serena is a single woman who has not seen Ash since he left Kalos when they were 10, and Ash is a divorced man that has two kids. During the story, Serena strives to get to know Ash again and to be the next woman in his life. Ash will be trying to get over his ex-wife all the while trying to figure out if he likes Serena or not. You'll know more details when the story comes out. And if you want to know when it will come out, it will be seven weeks from now which will be September 30th, so if you can wait until the end of next month, you'll see what it's all about. I'm pretty damn excited to write it, if you guys like all the flirting and blushing, you'll like the story. It's basically going to be like In or Out, only it won't be in school and Ash and Serena will be adults. So mark your calendars: September 30th.

Well, that should about do it. I hope you all had a good time with Love You Now, Love You Always. I think it was an overall good story. I wouldn't say it was any more than good. It had some great moments I'll give it that. I would give this story an overall 8 out of 10. That's really it for what I wanted to tell you about my future work and anything else. I'll see you all in Against All Odds, which will be coming out September 30th. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **If you want to know what I'm doing or if you want to do something with me here are a few sources where you will know what I'm doing.**

 **Follow me on twitter at: Studley McMuffin (Yeah I know, ridiculous username) See what I'm up to, what any other things you might want to see, and maybe, just maybe, I'll post info about any future stories.**

 **Follow me on Instagram at: Studley_McMuffin (Again, I know, ridiculous username) See where I've been, what I'm doing, who I'm with, or if you just want to know what I look like.**

 **Play games with me: If you feel like gaming it up with me, send me a friend request. I'm mainly on Xbox, and if you want to know, my gamertag is KillJoey15. If you want to play games with me and you've got an Xbox, look me up and shoot me a friend request and let's game on. I'll accept your friend request no doubt. I've only got four friends on Xbox Live anyway, but if you want to game along with me, give me a friend request or just send me yours and I'll friend you myself. Gamers forever!**

 **Can I have your tots?**

 **-Napoleon Dyamite**


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